WILLEMSTAD – Various studies have already been published when it comes to the Isla refinery and the violation of human rights because of the polluting emissions and the associated improper management.

 

A new study has recently been added: “The Kingdom in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of the ‘Isla’ oil refinery on Curaçao ‘(Jojanneke Snijders, VU University Amsterdam).

 

Snijders explicitly deals with international law and the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She concludes:

 

,,Due to the growing importance of international treaties such as the ECHR and the Paris Agreement, and the possibility of future claims arising, the current structure of accountability is not sustainable. If the Kingdom government wishes to take no responsibility, and is unwilling to interpret the provisions of the Charter in light of its international obligations, it should seriously consider altering the Charter. If this is not possible it could consider changing the conditions under which it is signatory to the ECHR. However, in absence of these changes, it should choose to take safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms within its Kingdom more serious, since it ultimately bears responsibility on an international level. The Isla case, in which victims have unsuccessfully been trying to claim their right to a healthy living environment for over twelve years, could then be a good place to start.’’

 

Read the entire document here

 

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