On July 17, 2020 and as part of its forty-fourth session, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Dr. Marcos A. Orellana for the position the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.
Statement by David Azoulay, Environmental Health Director at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
“We are thrilled that Dr. Orellana has been appointed the new Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights,” says David Azoulay, Director of CIEL’s Environmental Health Program. “He has long been a world class human rights expert and a champion for environmental health around the globe, and there has never been a more urgent need to address the human rights impacts of toxic substances and wastes. The former special rapporteur Baskut Tuncak leaves behind him a strong legacy and big shoes to fill. CIEL looks forward to Dr. Orellana’s leadership on toxics in the coming years, and we are excited to see what he brings to the position.”