RES/36/15 Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

GE.17-17513 (E) 101017 121017

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Human Rights Council Thirty-sixth session

11-29 September 2017

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 28 September 2017

36/15. 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, the Vienna Declaration and

Programme of Action and the Declaration on the Right to Development,

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

2006,

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

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

Council, both 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 9/1 of 24 September 2008, 18/11 of 29 September

2011, 21/17 of 27 September 2012 and 27/23 of 26 September 2014 and all the resolutions

of the Commission on Human Rights on this subject,

Recalling further General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015,

welcoming the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Goal

12, target 12.4, thereof, to achieve, by 2020, the environmentally sound management of

chemicals and hazardous wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with

international standards, and affirming the interlinkages and integrated nature of all the

Sustainable Development Goals,

1. Welcomes the work carried out, in accordance with his mandate, by the

Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound

management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and takes note of his report

submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-sixth session;1

2. Takes note of the guidelines for good practices prepared by the Special

Rapporteur as presented in the report, and requests the Special Rapporteur, in accordance

with his mandate, to continue to provide detailed, up-to-date information on the adverse

1 A/HRC/36/41.

United Nations A/HRC/RES/36/15

General Assembly Distr.: General 10 October 2017

English

Original: French

2 GE.17-17513

consequences that the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes in an

unlawful manner may have in terms of the full enjoyment of human rights;

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

years, and invites him to report to the Human Rights Council in accordance with its

programme of work and annually to the General Assembly;

4. Encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue his 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. Urges 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 Human Rights 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. Encourages all States, United Nations agencies and other relevant

international organizations, civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations,

as well as the public and the private sector and all other relevant stakeholders to engage in a

process of consultation, dialogue and cooperation with the Special Rapporteur to enable

him to update, before the end of his mandate, the guidelines for good practices to promote

the full enjoyment of human rights by the environmentally sound management and disposal

of hazardous substances and wastes;

7. Requests the Special Rapporteur to inform States, United Nations agencies

and other relevant international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders of the

impact on human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of

hazardous substances and wastes, including in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development, to seek views and contributions from Governments, United

Nations agencies and other relevant international organizations, civil society and other

relevant stakeholders in accordance with his mandate, to investigate national, regional and

international efforts in respect of the Sustainable Development Goals and to undertake

thematic research on the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda;

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

support and assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights, 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 Human Rights 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;

10. Reiterates its appeal to the Secretary-General and to the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all necessary

assistance for 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.

39th meeting

28 September 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]