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

27/23Mandate 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,

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;

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;

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.]