Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the Implications for Human Rights of the Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Hazardous Substances and Wastes

A/HRC/RES/63/16View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2026.

What other versions does this mandate have?

2 versions · 2023–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2026	A/HRC/RES/63/16	Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the Implications for Human Rights of the Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Hazardous Substances and Wastes	1,733	—Compare
2023	A/HRC/RES/54/10	Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the Implications for Human Rights of the Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Hazardous Substances and Wastes	1,546	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Environmentally Hazardous Substances Human Rights Special Rapporteurs Toxic Waste Management

What’s in this document?

17 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes to the Human Rights Council at the present session, and requests the Special Rapporteur, in accordance with the mandate, to continue to provide detailed, up-to-date information on the adverse consequences for the full enjoyment of human rights of managing and disposing of hazardous substances and wastes in an unlawful manner, which may include information on:

⁸A/HRC/63/27.

The adverse consequences for persons and communities in vulnerable situations;

Efforts to strengthen the science-policy interface, including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, with regard to transparency about the hazards and risks associated with the life cycle of hazardous substances and wastes, including threats to the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, and the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress;

The evolution of the effectiveness of international regulatory mechanisms concerning hazardous substances and wastes and their impact on the enjoyment of human rights, and the gaps and shortcomings of those mechanisms, in particular with regard to emerging chemicals and waste management and disposal issues;

Human rights impacts relating to all business enterprises, both transnational and other, regarding the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes;

Decides to extend the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes for a period of three years, and invites the mandate holder to report annually to the Human Rights Council in accordance with its programme of work and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first and eighty-third sessions;

Encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue close cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Environment Assembly, relevant specialized agencies of the United Nations system, 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;

Requests the Special Rapporteur to participate in relevant United Nations and other international forums on issues relevant to the mandate, as appropriate, including in sessions of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the International Conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals, and in the sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment and in the diplomatic conference that may adopt it, in order to mainstream human rights into these discussions;

Urges the Special Rapporteur to continue 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 to addressing existing problems with a view to finding lasting solutions for the management of such substances and wastes in order to present to the Human Rights Council, in accordance with its programme of work, an annual report 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;

Encourages all States, United Nations agencies and other relevant international organizations, civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations, academic and scientific organizations, as well as the public and the private sectors and all other stakeholders, to engage in a process of consultation, dialogue and cooperation with the Special Rapporteur in order to enable the mandate to be effectively carried out;

Encourages the Special Rapporteur, in accordance with the 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 the Special Rapporteur;

Reiterates its appeal to States and other stakeholders to facilitate the work of the Special Rapporteur by, inter alia, providing information, engaging on communications and considering accepting requests and/or invitations for country visits;

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 stakeholders in accordance with the 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;

Also requests the Special Rapporteur to provide, upon request, technical assistance and advice to States and other actors on the implementation of the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations, and on the legal and policy framework for compliance with international human rights law and international environmental law;

Further requests the Special Rapporteur, in fulfilling the mandate, to mainstream a gender, age and disability perspective by paying special attention to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and by mainstreaming the human rights of children, persons with disabilities and other persons and communities in vulnerable situations;

Reiterates its appeal to the Secretary-General and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all assistance necessary for the successful fulfilment of the mandate;

Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item in accordance with its programme of work.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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