GENEVA, Switzerland — Sept. 13, 2026
Emily Donovan, Clean Cape Fear Co-founder and Leland, North Carolina mother, has traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, where she is scheduled to speak before the United Nations Human Rights Council about forever chemical pollution in southeastern North Carolina and around the United States.
Donovan is set to participate in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on hazardous substances and wastes on September 14, 2026. This is part of a series of events surrounding the presentation of the first-ever UN report on Forever Chemicals and Human Rights.
The resulting report concludes that PFAS pose a profound threat to human rights and the environment, and calls for an immediate, coordinated ban on all non-essential uses while governments enter into global negotiations to phase out the entire class of forever chemicals in legally binding ways. Governments are called on to take immediate action to end existing human rights violations in PFAS sacrifice zones by providing medical monitoring and treatment for people already exposed.
"The United States is the birthplace of forever chemicals, and much of the contamination happening globally can be traced back to irresponsible business practices from a handful of PFAS producers," says Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear. "I live in a PFAS sacrifice zone, and communities like mine all over the United States are begging world leaders to act right now on the UN report's findings." -Emily Donovan, Co-founder, Clean Cape Fear
See “Resources” on this page for a link to the full press release and other information.
Emily Donovan, Co-founder, Clean Cape Fear participates in events surrounding the 63 session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.