Visit to Uruguay

From 24 to 28 April, the Special Rapporteur conducted a country visit to Uruguay, where he met with government officials and members of civil society to address the progress and challenges Uruguay faces with human rights related to environmental protection.  He issued a statement at the close of his visit, which praised Uruguay's steps to move towards almost-complete reliance on renewable energy.  He suggested more public participation in environmental decision-making and the creation of a new “environmental ombudsperson” position that could serve as a focus for environmental complaints.  He will present a report on Uruguay to the Human Rights Council in March 2018.