MiningWatch Canada submission in advance of consideration of the seventh Periodic Review of Canada by the UN Human Rights Committee, 145th session, March 2026
MiningWatch Canada (MiningWatch) is a federally registered non-profit organization established in Canada in 1999 by environmental, labour, and social justice groups to support Indigenous peoples and mining-affected communities in Canada and those negatively affected by Canadian mining companies operating abroad. MiningWatch functions as a coalition of 25 members including environmental, labour, international development and Indigenous peoples’ organizations from all parts of Canada. The examples illustrating the points made in this submission come from 26 years of experience in providing solidarity and support to Indigenous peoples and communities defending their environmental and human rights, including civil and political rights, from multinational mining by Canadian companies.
This shadow report is provided in the context of Canada’s review before the Human Rights Committee (the Committee) on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Its focus is on provisions under Part 2, article 2, of ICCPR, in regard to the State Party’s obligation under the Covenant to provide any person whose rights or freedoms, as recognized under the Covenant, are violated an effective remedy. This submission specifically focuses on sections in Canada’s 2025 Seventh Report (paragraphs 11-14) that respond to the Committee’s request for information on measures taken by Canada to ensure that “all business enterprises domiciled” in Canada, “and/or subject to its jurisdiction, in particular mining corporations, respect Covenant rights and international standards throughout their operations, including abroad,” as well as the Committee’s request for information on steps taken by Canada “to guarantee access to justice for victims of human rights abuses, including those abroad, by or involving relevant companies.”