GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Marcos Orellana, will visit Samoa from 30 October to 8 November. The expert will examine the human rights situation related to the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and waste, including plastic waste and pollution. He also will focus on identifying good practices and areas of regional and international cooperation in this regard. The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government ministries, civil society organisations, community representatives, academics, and businesses. Orellana will hold a press conference on Friday 8 November at 12:00 (Samoa local time) at the One UN House (SIDS Street, Tuanaimato, Apia, Samoa). Access will be strictly limited to journalists. The Special Rapporteur will present his report to the Human Rights Council in September 2025. The expert: 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 is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either 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 from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. UN Human Rights country page: Samoa For more information and media requests please contact the mandate’s Secretariat: In Samoa: Ms Aterina Samasoni (aterina.samasoni@un.org) and Mr Bahram Ghazi (bahram.ghazi@un.org). In Geneva: hrc-sr-toxicshr@un.org. For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org), or John Newland (john.newland@un.org). Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X @UN_SPExperts.