Toxics, Zero Waste, Women and Human Rights | HRC57 Side Event

About this Event

Hazardous substances and waste pollution threaten human health, cost the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year and aggravate the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution. Pollution created by all types of wastes and hazardous materials have negative impacts on the realization of human rights, particularly the rights to life, to a healthy environment, and to safe drinking water and sanitation.

The zero-waste approach aims to solve the waste pollution crisis through enabling more environmentally friendly consumption and promoting a circular economy and a lifecycle approach. It refers to reversing the trend of unsustainable production and overconsumption.

The upcoming report of the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights to the 79^th session of the UN General Assembly highlights the differentiated and unequally distributed harms resulting from exposure to hazardous substances and waste pollution. Women and girls’ exposure to chemicals is highly affected by biological and socio-economic differences. A human rights-based approach to women in vulnerable situations, in respect of toxic exposures, is necessary to address such impacts. On the other hand, women and girls also have a significant and central role to take the zero-waste agenda forward.

In this regard, the Republic of Türkiye, Sierra Leone, and Suriname together with the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights and the Geneva Environment Network,  organized a side event at the 57^th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC57) that focused on toxics, zero waste and women from a human rights perspective. As toxics and human rights are one of the main environmental themes of the Council’s September sessions, with the presentation of the Special Rapporteur’s annual report to the HRC, this was an opportunity to advance the zero-waste agenda through synergies among stakeholders and a better outreach on the environmental agenda of HRC57.

Light refreshments were served before the event.

Environment @ HRC57

The 57th regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC57) is taking place in Geneva and online from 9 September to 11 October 2024. With the environment high on the agenda, consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC57, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC57 and the environment update.

Speakers

H.E. Mahinur Özdemir GÖKTAŞ

Minister of Family and Social Services of Türkiye | Video Statement

Marcos ORELLANA

UN Special Rapporteur toxics and human rights

H.E. Amb. Burak AKÇAPAR

Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland

H.E. Amb. Lansana GBERIE

Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Geneva

H.E. Amb. Aroen Kumar JADOENATHMISIER

Permanent Representative of Suriname to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Geneva

İrde ÇETINTÜRK GÜRTEPE

Deputy Director General, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Türkiye

Arnold KREILHUBER

Director, Europe Office, UN Environment Programme

Maria Paola LIA

Executive Director, Global Alliance on Health and Pollution

Adriana QUIÑONES

Head, Human Rights and Development, UN Women

Benjamin SCHACHTER

Coordinator, Environment and Climate Team, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Kamelia KEMILEVA

Co-Director, Global Cities Hub

Diana RIZZOLIO

Coordinator, Geneva Environment Network | Moderator

Highlights

Video

Live from Palais des Nations.

Photo Gallery

Summary

Welcome

H.E. Amb. Burak AKÇAPAR | Permanent Representative of Türkiye to UNOG

• The Zero Waste movement tackles the waste pollution crisis by promoting more environmentally friendly consumption patterns and advancing a circular economy. Members of the advisory board promote local and national zero waste initiatives through awareness raising and best practice sharing towards the implementation of the General Assembly resolution presented by Türkiye.
• The implementation of the UN Zero Waste resolution at national and global levels will contribute to combating climate change and promoting human rights, particularly the right to a healthy environment.
• Harms caused by toxics, pollution and waste disproportionately affect women, and women’s role in this movement is indispensable; they are putting forward effective solutions to environmental challenges and pioneering zero waste practices.

H.E. Amb. Lansana GBERIE | Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to UNOG

• The 2021 Global Chemicals and Waste Indicator Review document highlights the severe threat to public health and the environment, emphasizing the necessity of proper waste management.
• Exposure to toxics and harmful waste disproportionately affects women and girls, largely because of gender roles that have persisted for centuries. This includes tasks such as handling laundry detergents, fertilizers, and toxic minerals.
• Sierra Leone is experiencing rapid urbanization, with agrarian and mining areas particularly vulnerable to hazardous industrial waste and toxic exposure. Communities around informal sectors, such as the textile industry which involves treatment of harmful chemicals, also lack appropriate disposal systems. Recycling has not solved these issues.
• We are deeply committed to mitigating the problem, increasing global awareness and calling for action to protect our communities and environment from further destruction and degradation.

H.E. Amb. Aroen Kumar JADOENATHMISIER | Permanent Representative of Suriname to UNOG

• I acknowledge the crucial role of women in supporting initiatives that aim for a zero waste world, in the context of this joint effort pledged by the Republic of Türkiye and First Lady Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan.
• As a member of the Advisory Board on Zero Waste, our First Lady, Her Excellency Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry, has been involved in many initiatives contributing to environmental sustainability, including the reusable sanitary project for young girls.
• Waste management is one of the greatest challenges in the world. There is an urgent need to raise awareness and take action by adopting a zero waste lifestyle to reverse waste.

Opening Remarks

H.E. Mahinur Özdemir GOKTAS, Minister of Family and Social Services of Türkiye

• With increased industrialization, the evergrowing issue of transboundary pollution is causing severe degradation of nature and putting additional burdens on social justice and equality. The more frequent negative impacts of pollution and climate influence women and children most distinctly and seriously.
• Pollution negatively affects women’s reproductive health, leading to serious complications during childbirth and increased risk of cancer.
• Women also face challenges from the increased demands of managing the well-being of their family members, as well as from exacerbated inequalities in sectors such as agriculture and farming, leading to difficulties in meeting their basic needs.
• Increased participation of women in decision-making processes will contribute to societal progress by fostering creative solutions and innovative ideas, leading to a more fair and sustainable future. Environmental pollution should not be addressed only in terms of reducing the problem, but also by tackling the root cause.
• Türkiye has taken decisive steps in combating environmental pollution and climate change, as represented by the Zero Waste Project which has now gained global momentum.
• The empowerment of women in environment and climate change issues is one of our important agenda topics, and we are continuously encouraging entrepreneurship and strengthening cooperatives for women. We have organized training programs and provide consultancy in areas including food safety and product development.

Women and Toxics: A Human Rights Perspective

Marcos A. ORELLANA, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights

• Humanity is living in an unprecedented crisis of chemicals and waste, inflicting harm to countless individuals and communities while exacerbating social and environmental injustices.
• A human rights-based approach should be adopted, which leads us to look at the reality from the perspective of persons and groups in vulnerable situations, especially women and girls.
• Women’s bodies and reproductive health are particularly susceptible to chemical exposure. Rates of painful but underdiagnosed reproductive diseases and emotional devastation that often accompanies fertility or stillbirth are rising globally, but are often ignored by public health systems.
• Women are often working with hazardous chemicals, such as in the electronics and waste management sector. They are also exposed to chemicals through the consumption of menstrual products and skin-lightening creams.
• Some hazardous chemicals have transgenerational effects which raises issues of intergenerational equity, which should be looked at with an intersectional approach. Women and girls living in poverty should have opportunities to improve literacy and learn about risks.
• I will present a report to the UN General Assembly on 18 October, which contains scientific and other evidence on the chemical and waste exposure issues.

Panel Discussion

Irde ÇETINTÜRK GÜRTEPE | Deputy Director General, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Türkiye

• The population growth, combined with increase in waste and emissions, has caused several negative situations such as climate change, water scarcity, air pollution, and disruption of the balance of the ecosystem.
• The Zero Waste Project in Türkiye has been carried out with the vision of transition to a circular economy, aiming to provide healthy ecosystems and solutions to global challenges. The two main pillars of the Zero Waste movement are the prevention of waste generation and the sound management of everyday waste.
• Since 2017 when the project was launched, over 100 programs, including panels, conferences and case studies, have taken place. By 2023 we have achieved a recycling grade of 35%, and our goal is to reach 50% by 2035.
• Local authorities are mainly responsible for waste management, and other stakeholders, including industry, commerce, academia and NGOs are giving support.
• The Zero Waste Project is not just a waste collection or recycling program, but it is the elimination of waste in the whole lifecycle.
• Women, who primarily manage housework, especially play an active role in this movement which aims to manage the triple planetary crisis without leaving anyone behind and realize a reliable and sustainable world for future generations.

At this point let me conclude that zero waste is not just a waste collection or recycling program. It is the elimination of waste in the whole lifecycle. Especially women “the managers” of houses will play an active role in global zero waste movement. We aim to manage the triple planetary crisis without leaving anyone behind, with the goal of leaving a livable and sustainable world for future generations, our children.

Arnold KREILHUBER | Director, Europe Office, UN Environment Programme

• Pollution and waste is strongly linked to the triple planetary crisis. The issue of hazardous substances and waste cannot be looked at in isolation because the crises reinforce each other’s impacts and often exacerbate existing inequalities, including gender inequalities and the disproportionate impact on women and girls.
• The otherwise very successful linear economic model has resulted in the progressive accumulation of complex waste, with many communities and countries today being unable to manage them sustainably. This waste crisis has serious impacts on air, land, water and human health.
• Globally, around 15 million people earn a fragile livelihood by collecting recyclable waste from streets and dump sites. These people are among the least likely to benefit from waste management services and are most likely to live in areas that are polluted by poorly managed waste.
• In 2023, UNEP published the report “Towards Zero Waste: a catalyst for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals” which outlines how enhancing resource efficiency and ensuring universal access to waste management services can improve lives. The report highlights the linkage between waste management and Sustainable Development Goals, addressing relevant human rights issues including gender, poverty, and health.
• In early 2024 UNEP launched its latest edition of the Global Waste Management Outlook. This provides an overview of the current global waste management crisis and presents scenarios for future waste management solutions.
• The report particularly urges to examine the hidden costs of poor waste management, which amount to USD 361 billion. It also finds that the lack of gender considerations and undervaluation of the informal waste sector are significant barriers to transition to an environmentally sound waste management.
• The UNGA resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment requires commitment from countries and stakeholders to implement the existing goals and obligations, as well as recognize the importance of participation of women in the waste sector.
• The Global Framework on Chemicals, adopted in Bonn in 2023, aims to strengthen the linkages between chemicals and waste management, health and labor policies, and human rights.
• Bringing the knowledge and expertise of women is vital because  in many cases they are the agents of change in moving forward to a more efficient, effective and sustainable waste management. A gender-inclusive circular economy also leads to economic benefits for the country.

Maria Paola LIA | Executive Director, Global Alliance on Health and Pollution

• The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution engages in global advocacy and provision of technical expertise to countries in need, to build political consensus and capacity to achieve desired outcomes.
• Gender equity, social inclusion and poverty alleviation are the goals of our work, given that women and local communities are most affected by pollution.
• 9 million people are killed each year due to pollution, and 92% of the deaths occur in low- and middle- income countries. However, very little funding is allocated for development assistance in pollution. We provide evidence and data to countries to enable them to invest the right resources and ultimately generate economic benefits.
• Our main model of work, the Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP), is a multi-stakeholder group that puts collaboration with countries at the core and is run in more than 13 countries today. In this process, local governments first assess and study existing national policies and make sure that prioritization is done based on public health risks. The alliance then designs a road map to address specific needs.
• The alliance also seeks financial support to run the programs in cases where countries lack the capacity to do so at the national level.

Adriana QUINONES | Head, Human Rights and Development, UN Women

• Gender and human rights perspective is indispensable in effectively addressing the impact of hazardous substances and toxic waste.
• The evidence from UN Women’s work vividly demonstrates the differentiated and disproportionate impacts of substances on women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable and marginalized situations such as indigenous women, women living in poverty, migrants, those with disabilities, and from racial and ethnic minorities.
• The linkages between gender and chemicals have been noted in several international processes on chemicals, waste and pollution. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) also recognized that women often play a powerful role in influencing sustainable consumption decisions.
• UN women has actively engaged in advancing gender sensitive approaches to address toxic and chemical waste through the development of policy guidelines.
• UN Women, UNEP and OHCHR have developed a joint paper on the environment and gender equality, providing key messages for member states and stakeholders to take urgent and ambitious gender-responsive actions to combat the environmental crisis.
• The transition to a circular economy is a great opportunity to integrate gender responsive approaches that empower women and recognize their critical roles as leaders and agents of change in environmental policies and practices.
• UN Women’s Gender Equality Accelerators on Gender-Responsive Climate Action and Green & Blue Economies aims to promote just transitions to enable women’s access to employment opportunities and integration in the economy in Africa.
• The challenges of inequality reinforced by the environmental crisis will require a multifaceted and multi-stakeholder approach that acknowledges the interlinkages between gender equality and waste management. This approach must also promote women’s full, effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership.

Benjamin SCHACHTER | Coordinator, Environment and Climate Team, OHCHR

• We have been continuously exceeding planetary boundaries for years, and pollution has differential effects; most pollution results from the consumption of the richest people and countries, which are the actors that experience it the least.
• Pollution and waste crises reflect and magnify social inequalities, and therefore the two could not be addressed separately. OHCHR works with various actors including waste pickers, scientists and indigenous peoples to call for an advanced rights-based environmental action.
• The role of businesses is important, especially in causing the problem. Their accountability to the environmental crisis should be recognized and discussed.
• The joint paper of UN Women, UNEP and OHCHR “Human Rights, the Environment and Gender Equality”, as well as “Human Rights and Hazardous Substances” by OHCHR and UNEP, articulate the key elements of the human rights-based approach.
• The establishment of a science policy platform of pollution is important to ensure inclusive participation and evidence-based independent science. Right decisions cannot be made unless those people’s rights are protected, particularly environmental human rights defenders and scientists.

Kamelia KEMILEVA | Co-Director, Global Cities Hub

• The Global Cities Hub gives the floor the voice of cities and local and regional governments on the international level. Their inclusion is important because they are the actors tackling waste management and day-to-day businesses.
• Some countries have adopted advanced waste management systems, such as in Türkiye and the Freetown initiatives in Sierra Leone. Empowering and recognizing these efforts at the international level is crucial.
• The UN Secretariat needs to work more with local and regional governments. Additionally, languages and projects should be simplified to make them more accessible to these governments, which may be unfamiliar with the UN structure, or the language used.

Documents

• Presentations made during the event

Links

• Achieving Zero Waste and the Role of Geneva | GEN
• A/79/163 | Gender and toxics | UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights’ report to UN General Assembly
• Human Rights, Hazardous Substances, and the Role of Geneva  | GEN
• Human Rights and the Environment | GEN