A/HRC/12/26 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 9/1, in which the Council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further period of three years, and strengthened it so as to cover all kinds of movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes. On the basis of resolution 9/1, the Special Rapporteur now has the task to investigate the adverse effects that both transboundary and national movements and the dumping of hazardous products and wastes have on the enjoyment of human rights. Furthermore, the resolution requests the Rapporteur to study the potential adverse effects of all hazardous products and wastes, whether illicit or not. 2. The present report consists of two substantive parts: the first part (sect. II) contains an update on the activities recently undertaken by the Special Rapporteur, while the second part focuses on the adverse effects of shipbreaking on the enjoyment of human rights by the countless individuals who work in the shipbreaking yards or live in their close proximity.1 This is not the first time the mandate deals with this issue: the previous Special Rapporteur, Ms. Fatma-Zohra Ouachi-Vesely, had the opportunity to visit ship-dismantling facilities in Aliaga, Turkey, and made several recommendations on how to carry out activities in a way that is respectful of human rights and the environment (see E/CN.4/2005/44). 3. In choosing this topic, the Special Rapporteur has considered a number of factors, in accordance with the methodology outlined in his first report to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2005/45, paras. 18-21). These factors include: the scale and seriousness of the phenomenon; the lack of an adequate regulatory framework; and the need to consider the phenomenon from a human rights perspective. 4. The second substantive part of the present report (sect. III) consists of four subsections. Subsection A provides an overview of the ship dismantling process and describes the main hazards associated with the current way of dismantling ships. Subsection B analyses the adverse effects that shipbreaking activities have on the human rights of individuals who work in the yards or live in their close proximity. Subsection C considers the existing regulatory framework that has been developed to address the growing concerns about the poor working practices and adverse environmental impact of the shipbreaking industry. It focuses in particular on the newly adopted international Convention on ship recycling, with a view to assessing the extent to which it can contribute to the solution of the main problems associated with the current methods of ship dismantling. Finally, subsection D contains conclusions and recommendations focusing on the additional measures that relevant stakeholders should consider adopting and implementing to bring about real and tangible improvements in the working practices prevailing in the shipbreaking industry and in the environmentally sound management of the waste this industry generates. 1 Paragraph 5 of resolution 9/1 invites the Special Rapporteur to include in his report to the Council comprehensive information on “the human rights implications of waste-recycling programmes ... and their new trends, including ... the dismantling of ships”, and to address “any gaps in the effectiveness of the international regulatory mechanisms” that allow the movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes.