Paraguay has 180 days to repair environmental damages, says UN
Monday, October 18th 2021 - 09:23 UTC
The Paraguayan Government now needs to find a solution to this environmental and humanitarian issue
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled in Geneva that indigenous people are affected by Paraguayan companies spreading pesticides in areas neighbouring homes, schools, roads and rivers thus affecting the water supply to indigenous peoples, causing “diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory problems and headaches,” were entitled to reparations.
This “historic” ruling found Paraguay in breach of collective environmental rights as per the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights due to the practices by agricultural companies which “ruin the ecology, poisoning an indigenous population.“ Hence, the government of President Mario Abdo Benítez must remedy this damage in 180 days, according to the document published in Geneva, since such fumigations cause ”diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory problems and headaches“, including to minors.
This Committee, made up of 18 independent experts elected by the vote of the 173 States that have ratified the aforementioned Pact, of which 116 have also validated its Optional Protocol, which enables individuals to turn to the Committee once it has been exhausted through the internal legal system, has condemned Paraguay, for violating Article 17 of this Pact, causing them to suffer ”arbitrary or illegal interference in their private life, their family, their domicile ...“ in lands that represent their ”home, culture and community,“ threatening ”the cultural survival of the group as a whole.“
According to the UN, the indigenous Paraguayan population ”lives surrounded by large companies that spray pesticides to produce genetically modified soybeans, use agrochemicals that kill animals, affect crops, fruit trees, hunting, fishing and water.“
More:
https://en.mercopress.com/2021/10/18/paraguay-has-180-days-to-repair-environmental-damages-says-un