PRESS RELEASE
13 December 2019
Toxic chemicals impact on human rights focus of national workshop
13 December 2019, Manila, Philippines – In celebration of Human Rights Week, environmental justice group BAN Toxics conducted a two-part workshop focusing on the human rights implications of toxic chemicals pollution in the environment.
The workshop has two main parts: the morning session focused on children’s rights in the context of chemical pollution, and the afternoon session focused on the role of businesses in protecting and promoting human rights and environmental integrity. The workshop’s outputs will be included in the finalization of the “Mainstreaming Children’s Rights in Environmental Law” guidebook and a white paper on Human Rights and Business.
“Environment and human rights are very much connected. However, in the pursuit of environmental protection, human rights can sometimes be subsumed and vice versa. The workshop hopes to establish the need to speak the language of rights in defending the environment, especially with the growing threat of chemical pollution,” said Reynaldo San Juan, executive director of BAN Toxics.
The workshop gathered key human rights stakeholders who are working on children’s issues. In response to the growing issue of children’s exposure to toxic chemicals, BAN Toxics consulted with international legal expert Baskut Tuncak, who specializes in human rights and hazardous substances and wastes in developing the guidebook. The document outlines various tools and best practices that can enable sectors to develop policies and programs that respond to the needs of children who are exposed to various risks.
For the afternoon session, the workshop contextualized chemicals issues as human rights issues, especially in businesses. Business activities account for most childhood exposure to toxic chemicals and pollution, and business entities are burdened with the responsibility to ensure that they protect and promote human rights in their operations.
“The complete lifecycle of toxic chemicals implicates fundamental human rights – the right to information, the right to participation, and the right to the highest attainable standard of health,” said Mary Joy Maraat, BAN Toxics Human Rights Specialist.
BAN Toxics’ continued experience in reducing mercury use and related environmental risks inthe artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector pushed the idea that socially-responsible business practices are formidable tools towards promoting human rights. The introduction of business practices and principles designed to protect the interests of ASGM communities is considered an integral part of improving working conditions, providing valuable economic opportunities, and reducing the risks faced by mine workers on a daily basis.
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Media Contacts:
Melendre dela Torre, Communications Officer, BAN Toxics
melendre@bantoxics.org | +63 917 514 2956