RES/27/23 Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

GE.A/HRC/27/54. 4-17982 (E) 101014 101014

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Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

27/23

Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human

rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of

hazardous substances and wastes

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Vienna Declaration and

Programme of Action,

Bearing in mind paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March

2006,

Recalling its resolutions 5/1 on institution-building of the Human Rights Council

and 5/2 on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the Council of

18 June 2007, and emphasizing that the mandate holder is to discharge his or her duties in

accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,

Recalling also its resolutions 21/17 of 27 September 2012, 18/11 of 27 September

2011 and 9/1 of 24 September 2008 and all the resolutions of the Commission on Human

Rights on this subject,

United Nations A/HRC/RES/27/23

General Assembly Distr.: General 3 October 2014

English

Original: French

2 GE.14-17982

1. Takes note of the preliminary report of the new Special Rapporteur on the

implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of

hazardous substances and wastes, which was submitted to the Council at its twenty-seventh

session;1

2. Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a period of three

years;

3. Acknowledges the work carried out by the previous Special Rapporteur, and

requests the new Special Rapporteur, in accordance with his mandate, to provide detailed,

up-to-date information on the adverse consequences that the improper management and

disposal of hazardous substances and wastes may have in terms of the full enjoyment of

human rights;

4. Encourages the Special Rapporteur to carry out his mandate in close

cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme, relevant United Nations

specialized agencies, such as the World Health Organization and the International Labour

Organization, and the secretariats of the international environmental conventions with a

view to mainstreaming human rights into their work and to avoiding duplication;

5. Requests the Special Rapporteur to continue his consultations with the

competent United Nations agencies and bodies and with the secretariats of the relevant

international conventions as part of a multidisciplinary, in-depth approach for addressing

existing problems with a view to finding lasting solutions for the management of such

substances and wastes so that he may present to the Council, in accordance with its

programme, annual reports on the implementation of the resolutions that it has adopted, as

well as specific recommendations and proposals concerning the steps that should be taken

immediately in order to address the adverse implications for human rights of hazardous

substances and wastes;

6. Also requests the Special Rapporteur to develop, in consultation with the

relevant stakeholders and with the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights, a guide to good practices in relation to the human rights obligations related

to the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and

wastes, to be submitted, together with his report, to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-

sixth session;

7. Further requests the Special Rapporteur to hold, to this end, two international

meetings of experts (with five experts) from all regions with a view to drawing up this

guide, while reflecting the points of view of other relevant human rights mechanisms,

United Nations specialized agencies and other international bodies, government experts,

national human rights institutions and civil society;

8. Encourages the Special Rapporteur, in accordance with his mandate and with

the support and assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner, to continue to provide

Governments with appropriate opportunities to respond to allegations that are transmitted to

him and are referred to in his report and to have their observations reflected in his report to

the Council;

9. Reiterates its appeal to States and other stakeholders to facilitate the work of

the Special Rapporteur by providing him with information and inviting him to undertake

country visits;

GE.14-17982 3

10. Also reiterates its appeal to the Secretary-General and to the High

Commissioner to provide the Special Rapporteur with all necessary assistance in

connection with the successful fulfilment of his mandate;

11. Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda

item in accordance with its programme of work.

40th meeting

26 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]