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News / 31 August 2013

Both ENDS on World Water Week

Just like last year, the Stockholm International Water Institute organises the World Water Week  which is starting this weekend. The overall theme of this year is cooperation between all stakeholders which are somehow involved with water. As this is one of the main themes in Both ENDS' work, of course we are present as well. Our colleagues Izabella Dias and Thirza Bronner  are organising a panel discussion in the Water Week and Izabella Dias tells us exactly what it is about:

 

One of the ten dirtiest rivers in the world
"We take two cases from Argentina. One is the highly polluted Riachuelo river which runs through Buenos Aires and flows into the sea from there. It's one of the ten dirtiest rivers in the world, mainly polluted with industrial waste. The Argentine Supreme Courth has determined that the government and companies around the river are responsible for this situation and that they are obliged to do something about it.

 

Clean environment is a human right
The other case comes from in the region of Entre Rios, north of Buenos Aires. In this area, civil society groups succeeded in having the right to a clean environment, which has already been recognised as a human right by 98 countries worldwide, adopted in the provincial constitution.

 

Argentinian Ombudsman
We will use these cases in our panel discussion to examine how civil society groups can use human rights in protecting and cleaning up their environment. We will do this with an extensive panel of experts from Argentina, Canada and with the Argentinian Ombudsman Marcelo Taboada. Our own Thirza Bronner will lead the discussion.

 

Conclusions by mail
The results of the discussion will be sent by mail to the 'Independent Expert on Human Rights Obligations on a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment' (what a mouthful ... ), who was appointed last year by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. His findings and recommendations will be published in 2014.

 

Video:  Would you like to see what Riachuelo looks like?

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photo on Flickr: blmurch

 

 

 

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