GENEVA (3 March 2016) – Today, a group of United Nations human rights experts called on the United States to increase its efforts to address environmental threats to human rights. Recent outrage over lead-contaminated water in the town of Flint, Michigan, has drawn international scrutiny to the toxic threats faced…
Human Rights Day – 10 December 2015
“As the Covenants turn 50, it is time to turn norms into action” – UN experts Human Rights Day – 10 December 2015 GENEVA (9 December 2015) – Speaking ahead of Human Rights Day 2015, the largest body of independent experts of the United Nations Human Rights system renews its…
Germany, 2015
Issues addressed: Final report available here Comments by the State available here End of visit statement (in German here) Introduction In my capacity as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes, I undertook an official country visit to the Germany, at the invitation of the…
Germany should take lead in global reduction of hazardous substances
Berlin (7 December 2015) – “Germany is well placed to take the global lead in preventing harm from the use of hazardous substances and ending double standards in the use of such chemicals outside the European Union,” the UN expert on human rights and hazardous substances and waste, Baskut Tuncak,…
Hazardous substance and waste: UN human rights expert in first official visit to Germany
Geneva (30 November 2015) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on hazardous substance and waste, Baskut Tuncak, today started his first official visit to Germany (30 November-7 December) to assess how the country is protecting human rights from the life cycle of hazardous substances and wastes from their manufacturing to their…
Brazilian mine disaster: “This is not the time for defensive posturing”
GENEVA (25 November 2015) – Two United Nations independent experts on environment and toxic waste today called on the Government of Brazil and relevant businesses to take immediate action to protect the environment and health of communities at risk of exposure to toxic chemicals in the wake of the catastrophic…
South Korea / Hazardous substances: UN expert calls for stronger protections for people at high-risk
SEOUL (23 October 2015) – United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes, Baskut Tuncak, today called on the Republic of Korea to step up efforts in protecting those who live in environmentally high-risk areas. “I am far from convinced that sufficient information systems and governance…
Republic of Korea, 2015
End of Visit Statement Introduction 23 October 2015 — In my capacity as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes, I undertook an official country visit to the Republic of Korea, at the invitation of the Government, from 12 to 23 October 2015. The…
South Korea: UN expert calls for stronger protections for people at high-risk
SEOUL (23 October 2015) – United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes, Baskut Tuncak, today called on the Republic of Korea to step up efforts in protecting those who live in environmentally high-risk areas. “I am far from convinced that sufficient information systems and governance…
Statement on the ECLAC’s negotiation of a regional instrument on environmental democracy
(22 October 2015) On the eve of a precedent-setting negotiation, we express our strong support for the efforts by governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to agree on a regional instrument on rights of access to information, participation, and justice in environmental matters. This negotiation is one of the…