Marcos Orellana is the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights. His work covers areas such as disposal of toxic wastes, protection of workers and human rights issues within the chemical industries. Most recently his remit includes the use of plastics, especially their disposal, and the impact on human rights.

At present he is visiting Peru. Three issues within his remit are of special consequence currently in Peru: the oil spill, the Peru/Rwanda UN proposal on the life-cycle of plastics, and the everlasting problem of the current impact and legacy of mining.

The UN Experts on Mission have published a report on the oil spill. Lack of transparency by Repsol and poor maintenance have been of particular concern.

The Peru/Rwanda initiative is noted in this PSG note.

On the impact of mining he has been visiting communities in Espinar where the effects of the presence of toxic metal poisoning in the blood are horrifically strong. In the last ten years MINSA, the Ministry of Health, has documented 1621 cases in Espinar with the presence of toxic metals (arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium) from chemicals used in mining and from leaching from the ore and gangue.