Geneva Toxic Free Talks

About the Geneva Toxic Free Talks

Out of the three interrelated environmental crises we are facing — climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution — the wide intoxication of our planet and of our bodies through multiple ways of contamination, is the one that today remains in the shadow. Notably, it’s covered by several specific treaties but does not have a global instrument, like the UNFCCC for climate change or the CBD for the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.

Geneva: Global Hub for Tackling Toxics

Among the specific treaties are a number of international instruments and institutions exist, such as the Basel Convention which regulates wastes, the Stockholm Convention on eliminating persistent organic pollution or the Rotterdam Convention which enforces prior informed consent for international trade of hazardous chemicals. The Secretariat of these three conventions are located in Geneva, which also hosts the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Other Geneva-based UN institutions, most notably WHO and ILO, are also concerned and trying to regulate the use of toxic substances.

With the strong presence of such organizations, Geneva is a central place for those struggling against the threat of contamination from toxic substances.

Tackling Toxics @ HRC63

The Geneva Toxic Free Talks is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use and dissemination of toxics. This talk, taking place in the margins of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, will highlight how Geneva, as a global hub for tackling toxic substances and waste, contributes to bringing together the actors working in reversing the toxic tide.

Hazardous Substances, Human Rights, and the Role of Geneva

Though integral to almost all sectors of society, the lack of environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste can have long-lasting negative impacts on human health, society, and on the environment. Such negative impacts violate our human right to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Stakeholders, particularly States and businesses, must ensure that this right is upheld when conducting activities and operations on the ground.

Highlighting the role stakeholders from International Geneva as a global hub for the governance of hazardous substances, learn how they are actively working to reduce the environmental and health risks from chemicals, including their human rights implications.

Previous Geneva Toxic Free Talks

Tackling Toxics @ Basel Convention OEWG-15

The Geneva Toxic Free Talks is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use and dissemination of toxics. This talk, taking place in the margins of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention (OEWG-15), will highlight how Geneva, as a global hub for tackling toxic substances and waste, contributes to bringing together the actors working in reversing the toxic tide.

Tackling Toxics @ HRC60

The Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights reports every fall to the Council and to the UN General Assembly on issues related to his mandate. The Geneva Toxic Free Talks aim to harness the opportunity of this moment of the year to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use, and dissemination of toxics and on how Geneva contributes to bringing together the actors working in reversing the toxic tide.

On the sidelines of HRC60, the 2025 edition of the Toxic Free Talks took place on 17 September 2025, with conferences and discussions, highlighting the work of the Special Rapporteur and of organizations in the struggle for the right to live in a toxic-free environment.

Highlights and Key Messages

Tackling Toxics @ BRS COPs 2025

The Geneva Toxic Free Talks is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use and dissemination of toxics. This series, taking place in the margins of the 2025 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs 2025), will highlight how Geneva, as a global hub for tackling toxic substances and waste, contributes to bringing together the actors working in reversing the toxic tide.

HRC57

The Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights reports every fall to the Council and to the UN General Assembly on issues related to his mandate. The Geneva Toxic Free Talks aim to harness the opportunity of this moment of the year to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use, and dissemination of toxics and on how Geneva contributes to bringing together the actors working in reversing the toxic tide.

On the sidelines of HRC57, the 2024 edition of the Toxic Free Talks took place on 19 September 2024, with conferences and discussions, highlighting the work of the Special Rapporteur and of organizations in the struggle for the right to live in a toxic-free environment.

Highlights and Key Messages

HRC54

On the sidelines of HRC54, the 2023 edition of the Toxic Free Talks took place from 20 to 22 September 2023 — three days of conferences and discussions, highlighting the work of the Special Rapporteur and of organizations in the struggle for the right to live in a toxic-free environment.

Highlights and Key Messages

HRC51 | 25 Years of the Mandate on Toxics and Human Rights

Since 1995, we can also add to the list the mandate given by the UN Human Rights Council to a Special Rapporteur to look at how toxic hazardous substances and their lifecycles can have impacts on the enjoyment of human rights.

As the Special Rapporteur reports every Fall to the Council and to the UN General Assembly on these issues, Earthjustice and its partners take this opportunity to reflect on the challenges posed by the production, use and dissemination of toxics and on how Geneva contributes to bringing together those working in reversing the toxic tide.

On the sidelines of the 51st regular session of the Human Rights Council, this year’s Toxic Free Talks took place over two days of conferences and discussions, celebrating 25 years of the mandate (as it was not possible to do so earlier due to the global pandemic) and the struggle for the right to live in a toxic free environment.

Highlights and Key Messages

You can find highlights of the two days on our Twitter and event pages. Watch this space for an upcoming summary!

This wraps up the two days of the #GENeva #ToxicFreeTalks!

From the team, thank you for all the speakers, participants, and of course, @SRtoxics who shared their time and knowledge with us.

To recap, check out the threads below ⏬ or visit our page ➡️ https://t.co/W901s63Suv pic.twitter.com/gpemSVYlTO

— GENeva Environment Network (@GENetwork) September 22, 2022

Taking place on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Human Rights Council, the Toxic Free Talks celebrated 25 years of the mandate and the struggle for the right to live in a toxic free environment.

21 September | 25 years of Struggle to be Free from Toxic Threat

22 September | Dialogues on Repairing Toxic Damages

HRC48

In 2021, after the important Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution in Geneva, two events were scheduled that presented the reports of the Special Rapporteur to the 48th session of the Human Rights Council:

Links

• The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: non-toxic environment | Joint report by SR Environment and SR Toxics | 12 January 2022
• Right to science in the context of toxic substances | A/HRC/48/61 | SR Toxics | 26 July 2021
• Implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes | A/76/207 | SR Toxics | 22 July 2021
• Plastics and Human Rights | GEN Update
  • Event: Plastics and Human Rights | Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues | 14 January 2021 | See also the summary of this session
• Geneva addressing Hazardous Substances | GEN Update

HRC Sessions Tackling Toxics

Environment @ HRC54 | Environment @ HRC51 | Environment @ HRC48