A/HRC/21/48 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 2 July 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-first session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights obligations related to environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and waste, Calin Georgescu Summary In the present report, the Special Rapporteur focuses on the adverse effects on the enjoyment of human rights of the unsound management of hazardous substances and waste used in and generated by extractive industries. Section II of the report provides information on the various methods of extraction that use hazardous chemicals and current practices in waste management; while section III explores the adverse impact on human rights of the improper management of hazardous substances and waste. Section IV discusses emerging issues in extractive industries, which aggravate or contribute to exposing humans to hazardous substances and waste. In section V, the Special Rapporteur sets out the international normative framework for the sound management of hazardous chemicals and waste, before submitting his conclusions and recommendations in section VI. GE.12-14926