The United Nations (UN) Hazardous Waste and Human Rights Special Rapporteur Başkut Tunçak has met with institutions and individuals working on public health, environmental health, occupational health and safety, environmental rights and environmental law fields in Turkey, at the conference conducted by Green Thought Association and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.
In the opening ceremony of the meeting moderated by Istanbul Policy Center Senior Scholar and Public Health Specialist Ümit Şahin, Başkut Tunçak shared information about current researches and reports on chemical wastes, human rights, environmental right and law.
Following the presentation by Tunçak, representatives of institutions shared their views on the problems in the field of occupational health and safety, public health, environmental rights and environmental law in Turkey.
Among the questions asked, the emphasis was on the power of the rapporteur’s sanctions. Tunçak stated that he also sent a letter to the government and companies to collect information on toxic substances and human rights cases. He added that this was also a paperwork record and that the country had been taken into consideration in the UN Universal Periodic Review. Tunçak also said that the rapporteur’s duty allows him to make press statements about the cases and that this is effective in raising public awareness about toxic pollution and human rights problems, and that the pressure both from the citizens and the shareholders arising from falling reputation and share prices are effective. Tunçak states that as a rapporteur he therefore encourages citizens and non-governmental organizations to reflect on the cases of toxic pollution. Related topics can be sent to the reporter via e-mail or on the website in a simple way.
Greenpeace, TEMA, Turkish Thoracic Society, Yuva Association, DISK, İDA Solidarity Association, HEAL, Heinrich Böll Sitftung Association, DOSAB Platform, Public Health Specialists Association, Turkish Medical Association, Physicians Association for Environment, EGEÇEP (Aegean Environment and Culture Platform) Representatives of IMUD Occupational Diseases Society and Clean Future Association attended.