The UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, Mr Marcos A. Orellana has urged the Ghana Government to ban the trade and use of mercury in small-scale mining.
He observed that the use of Mercury in small-scale mining is contaminating soils and water sources at a national scale, compromising the rights of present and future generations, therefore the call.
Mr Marcos A. Orellana made the recommendation at a press briefing by him on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at the International Press Centre in Accra.
The UN Special Rapporteur, who has been in Ghana from November 30 to December 13, 2022, has been assessing the country’s human rights situation concerning toxics and hazardous substances.
He has also been in the country to particularly identify good practices and examine the use and management of chemicals and hazardous waste in the country.
The meeting was to share his preliminary findings and recommendations on his assessment of the country’s human rights situation concerning toxics and hazardous substances after visiting sites affected by toxic substances.
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Speaking at the meeting, he said in the face of threats posed by toxic substances, there is an urgent need for Ghana to respect and guarantee the free and full exercise of human rights.
“Ghana should be commended for its leadership at the international level in strengthening multilateral agreements in the chemicals and waste cluster, and it is also leading the African Group in negotiations toward a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution,” he said.
He observed that, at the same time, there is weak implementation of laws concerning chemicals and wastes at the national level.
That, he said, puts individuals at risk of serious human rights violations.
According to him, the Government’s National Action Plan on mercury is an important step but is not ambitious enough, and does not include a phase-out date for mercury use.
He recommended that “the government should ban the trade and use of mercury, champion amendments to strengthen the Minamata Convention on mercury, and address mercury use as a form of environmental crime.”
Mr. Marcos A. Orellana noted that the toxic impacts of mercury use in small-scale gold mining, hazardous pesticides, plastics, and e-waste exposures are particularly concerning.
Plastic waste
At the end of the 14-day visit to the country, the Expert who observed that Plastic waste is not properly managed in the country said plastics are covering beaches and burning in informal dumpsites all over the country.
He said the National Plastic Waste Management Policy is important but effective implementation was lacking.
“For instance, Ghana should consider banning single-use plastics, reducing volumes of production and establishing extended producer responsibility schemes.” he said.
Mr Marcos A. Orellana also identified that several of the pesticides used in Ghana, such as paraquat and chlorpyrifos, are banned for use in Europe because they are hazardous to human health and the environment.
“It is also alarming that one of the most widely used pesticides in the country is glyphosate, which is ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer,” he said.
He continued,“I want to highlight the abhorrent double standards of countries that ban dangerous pesticides while allowing them to be produced and exported to developing countries. But Ghana also has a responsibility to protect the human rights of its population.”
Mr Marcos A. Orellana said the adoption of the 2021 to 2030 Strategic Plan for the sound management of chemicals and waste was cause for optimism and can help strengthen institutions and norms.
Similarly, he said Ghana can build on its successful experience in addressing PCBs, per requirements of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants.
“Ghana must take further steps to strengthen its legal framework and improve implementation and enforcement to guarantee the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Special Rapporteur said he will present a report with his findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in September 2023.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori