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UN expert warns about excessive pesticide use in Paraguay

UN expert said Friday (Oct 14), Paraguay's excessive pesticide use is "poisoning the country and seriously affecting the lives and health of its people,” according to the Anadolu Agency.
Marcos Orellana, special rapporteur on toxics and human rights said: "Laws that control pesticides are not enforced in Paraguay. This generates impunity for human rights violations and abuses of thousands of people exposed to toxic contamination.”
He said in preliminary observations shared in a statement that Orellana said some cooperatives tend the land responsibly. But Paraguay's agroindustrial model has affected different communities due to an increase in aerial and ground spraying of "hazardous pesticides.”
He warned that indigenous people and subsistence communities are being cornered by monocultures and other crops dependent on pesticides.
Orellana said: "Those who oppose the contamination of their communities are often criminalised by the Public Prosecutor's Office.”

The expert added that "the high concentration of land in the hands of a few, and the consequent exclusion of large segments of the population, aggravates these environmental injustices."
During his Paraguay visit, Orellana met government officials, relatives of victims, members of civil society and the private sector, UN agencies, subsistence communities and indigenous peoples in the departments of Presidente Hayes, Alto Parana, Canindeyu, San Pedro and Guiara.
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Orellana urged authorities to uphold several UN rulings concerning due process and diligence regarding the rights of indigenous communities as well as a prominent environmental ruling.
He said: "It is the responsibility of the State to guarantee the right to a healthy environment and to protect its population from the indiscriminate effects of the use of hazardous pesticides in Paraguay.”
Orellana also said the international community must stop the "double standard of trade of hazardous pesticides that are prohibited from use in their countries of origin."
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The Special Rapporteur is expected to present his full report to the Human Rights Council next September.
It will focus on the "environmentally sound management of hazardous waste and implementation of international environmental agreements related to industrial chemicals and mercury, among other issues."
Source: aa
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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