National Conference on Environmental and Human Rights
Last updated: 28/09/2009 //
The Ambassador held the opening speech at a National Conferense on Environment and Human Rights: Environmental Justice, September 23, 2009 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The intensification of mining, construction and tourism sectors, in order to increase the economic growth in Mongolia for the last decade, has brought drastic negative consequences on the environment. Thousands of rivers and lakes have been shrinking and disappearing, contributing to rapid desertification. Water and soil are contaminated by toxic heavy metals like mercury and cyanid, causing servere problems for the environment and the human health. The aim of the conference was to discuss the best national legal mechanisms for protection of the environment and the citizens right to participation, information and justice and to draft a reccomendation on improvement of environmental justice.
The Conference was organized by Fredskorpset, Norway and Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia.