GENEVA (30 September 2022) – The UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Marcos Orellana, will visit Paraguay from 3 to 14 October 2022 to assess the country’s human rights situation in relation to hazardous substances and wastes. Among other issues, the UN expert will study best practices, use of pesticides, the adverse effects of chemicals, and waste management. "I am pleased to visit Paraguay and report on the progress the country has made on toxics and human rights issues since my predecessor’s visit in 1998,” Orellana said. The first visit to Paraguay by a UN expert on toxics and human rights resulted in a report with recommendations after the visit. As part of this second visit, among other topics, the UN expert will also examine issues surrounding monocultures and pesticides, particularly in the context of recent decisions by the Human Rights Committee about pesticide use in Paraguay. During the visit, the UN expert will visit sites affected by toxic substances and hold meetings with government authorities, civil society, and other stakeholders. “I look forward to hearing first-hand accounts from local communities to better understand how toxics and contamination affect their lives, their access to information, and the avenues to effective remedy,” Orellana said. “I look forward to learning how my mandate can assist communities and government to find solutions and advocate for good practices to be implemented throughout the country”. The UN expert will hold a news conference on 14 October from 11:30am to 1:00pm at the auditorium in the National Library in Asunción, where he will share preliminary observations from the visit. Access will be strictly limited to journalists. The conference will also be streamed online via YouTube. Orellana will present a comprehensive report with his findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in September 2023. Dr. Marcos A. Orellana is the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what are known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name for the Council’s independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with 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 of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. UN Human Rights, country page - Paraguay For additional information and media requests, please contact the OHCHR Secretariat: Sonia Cuesta(+41-79-752-0481, sonia.cuesta@un.org) For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Renato Rosario De Souza (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org). Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org