States and businesses must prevent harm from highly
hazardous pesticides – UN experts
GENEVA (28 September 2015) – Two United Nations experts on
hazardous substance and waste and right to food have called today for an
immediate worldwide phase-out on use of highly hazardous pesticides that are
inflicting significant damage on human health and the environment.
The experts’ appeal comes as States, businesses and other
parties from around the world gather in Geneva, Switzerland, for the fourth
meeting of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (28 September
to 2 October 2015). This is the last gathering of its kind before 2020, the
year by which States pledged to achieve sound management of chemicals following
the 2002 Earth Summit.
“Workers, children and others at risk continue to suffer
severe impacts from hazardous pesticides,” the UN Special Rapporteurs on human
rights and hazardous substance and waste, Baskut Tuncak, said. “Those living in
danger cannot wait several years for the next opportunity. It is imperative
that States take collective action now.”
Mr. Tuncak noted that, since the 2002 Earth Summit,
coordinated global action to reduce highly hazardous pesticide use has not
materialized. “Risks are particularly grave in developing countries, many of
who import these highly hazardous pesticides despite having inadequate systems
to reduce risks,” he said.
“There are still a significant proportion of pesticides
being used around the world which can be considered as highly hazardous,” the
expert warned, “despite international pesticide experts’ claim that there are
almost always safer alternatives to highly hazardous pesticides.”
Criteria developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations and World Health Organization include pesticides with
high acute toxicity, with established chronic toxic effects including the
ability to cause cancer even at very low exposure levels, or which are very
persistent in the environment or in organisms.
“Often, the residues of these hazardous pesticides are found
in the food that we consume and this impedes individual’s right to access safe
healthy food. The exposure is particularly serious for farmworkers and their
families. Children are exposed to highly hazardous pesticides through their
mother’s milk,” the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver,
stressed. “Agro-ecology is a proven alternative to an intensive reliance on
highly hazardous pesticides.”
“Urgent action is needed. States must reorient their methods
of food production towards systems that inflict less harm, are more
sustainable, and truly contribute to the realization of all human rights,” Ms.
Elver urged.
ENDS
Mr. Baskut Tuncak (Turkey) was appointed Special Rapporteur
on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management
and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes by the UN Human Rights Council
in 2014. Learn more, visit:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/ToxicWastes/Pages/SRToxicWastesIndex.aspx
Ms. Hilal Elver (Turkey) is a Research Professor, and global
distinguished fellow at the UCLA Law School Resnick Food Law and Policy Center.
She was appointed Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food by the Human Rights
Council in 2014. Learn more: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Food/Pages/FoodIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For enquiries and media requests, please contact Ahreum Lee
(+41 22 917 9391/ ahreumlee@ohchr.org) and Orlagh Mccann (+41 22 917 9578/
omccann@ohchr.org) or write to srtoxicwaste@ohchr.org and srfood@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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