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;

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 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.]