THE EVIDENCE OF TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTES DUMPING IN SOMALIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENJOYMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS: A CASE STUDY

Read the Study.... HERE

Bashir Mohamed Hussein, PhD.
Geneva , 8th of June, 2010
Paper presented at the United Nations Human Rights Council (Geneva)
14th Session
Panel discussion on Toxic Wastes

Read the Paper.... HERE (pdf)

Toxic waste dumping in Somalia and its impact on human rights

---

Human Rights Council holds Panel Discussion on Adverse Effects of Moving Toxic Waste on Enjoyment of Human Rights
Geneva, 8 Iune 2010: BASHIR MOHAMED HUSSEIN, Founding Director of SomaCent Development Research Foundation, said Somalia had been a victim of hazardous toxic waste dumping since the mid 1980s. Foreign companies had used the country as a dumping ground to dispose of large quantities of toxic wastes illegally. In particular, the illicit dumping had intensified after 1990, and had seriously impacted on health, livelihoods, the prospect of development, and the overall human security of the affected population. In addition, the dumping had been associated with other equally harmful and internationally-driven illicit practices such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and army smuggling. Together, these factors represented the main pillars that underpinned the war economy, contributing to the perpetuation and exacerbation of the armed conflict. The combined effects of the toxic waste dumping and other illicit practices in Somalia had denied the affected population the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, right to health, right to a safe environment, right to enough food, income, and safe drinking water, as well as the right to development.

Unfortunately, Somalia had had no effective Government for a long time now, and the international community had failed to pay enough attention to these problems when dealing with the Somali crisis. But it was clear, due to many sources, that Somalia had been turned into a dumping ground for the worst toxic wastes produced by industrialised countries, at the expense of the already very fragile health, food security, and overall prospect for development of the affected population in Somalia. Alongside the domestic factors, Somalia's political and economic crisis was fuelled and perpetuated by internationally driven economic and other strategic interests. To reverse this tragic trend, the Human Rights Council and the international community in general should make sure that intertwined problems such as toxic waste dumping, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, army smuggling and all other international dimensions of the Somali crisis were properly dealt with. The Special Rapporteur on toxic wastes should undertake an urgent country mission. There should also be an in-depth and extensive field research on the nature, scale and impact of the toxic waste dumping in Somalia, identification, isolation, and reclamation of the polluted sites, and the adoption of effective deterrent measures against the toxic traffickers at the international level. Read More
READ The Case Study.... HERE (pdf)