#CleanUpWittenoom Raised at UN Human Rights Council

On 9 March 2026, Yaara Bou Melhem and Johnnell Parker participated in an official United Nations Side Event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Co‑sponsored by the Geneva Environment Network and Earthjustice, the event marked a critical shift from a long‑ignored local disaster to a recognised international human rights issue. The discussion strengthened calls for accountability, proper remediation, and justice for Banjima people, making clear that Wittenoom’s legacy of harm cannot remain out of sight or out of mind.

UN Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes Riaño situated Wittenoom within the global “triple planetary crisis” of toxic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, highlighting how environmental harm compounds existing inequalities and injustices.

It was a powerful and important discussion, and one we encourage everyone to listen to. Watch the full UN Human Rights Council Side Event below to hear directly from Banjima leaders, UN experts, and advocates calling for justice at Wittenoom.

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