Did Canada Fail to Protect a Human Rights Defender Assassinated for His Opposition to a Canadian Mine in Mexico?

A new complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights makes the case for Canada’s legal accountability for human rights abuses tied to its mining companies overseas. 

OTTAWA – Finding no avenues for justice in Canada, the family of murdered Mexican environment defender Mariano Abarca have filed a groundbreaking complaint against Canada at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). 

Source
MiningWatch Canada

Communities Demand Transparency in the Approval of Barrick Gold's Dominican Republic Mine Expansion

Impacted communities and civil society organizations in the Dominican Republic condemn the lack of transparency in the approval of an environmental license for the expansion of Barrick Gold’s Pueblo Viejo mine.

Source
MiningWatch Canada — Earthworks

Despite Clear Environmental Risks, B.C. Refuses to Require Improved Water Monitoring at Closed Ajax Mine

MiningWatch Canada has obtained a letter from George Heyman, British Columbia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to the Kamloops Area Preservation Association (KAPA) denying KAPA’s request for more stringent monitoring of contamination of Peterson Creek from waste rock at the Ajax Mine.

“This is another example of the distressing weakness of British Columbia’s environmental laws when it comes to toxic contaminants leaching from existing and closed mine sites,” states Jamie Kneen, National Program Co-Lead for MiningWatch.

Source
MiningWatch Canada

The Dirty Dozen: 12 cases that undermine B.C.’s claim to be a world-class mining jurisdiction

(VANCOUVER / xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ territories) The government of British Columbia and the mining industry often claim to have the strongest environmental and social regulatory regime—especially during May for “B.C. Mining Month.” However, a new report shows there are serious on-going pollution and other risks that keep B.C. from being that world-class mining jurisdiction. 

Source
BC Mining Law Reform

Webinar: Canada Closed its Doors to Justice for Mariano Abarca - What's next?

Submitted by Viviana on
Special Blog Type

It’s been almost 14 years since prominent Mexican environment defender Mariano Abarca was killed while speaking out against a Canadian mine and his family is still fighting for justice. Mariano’s family and supporters are in Ottawa in June to announce important next steps in their fight for justice. Join us online June 6 from 6-7:30PM to learn more and to support their efforts as they take their struggle to the international level.

International Mission to Colombia to Share Ways to Stop Abusive Corporate Claims

12 representatives of organizations from 8 Latin American countries and other parts of the world will visit Colombia to participate in a mission to share their experiences of standing up to corporate greed and stopping abusive transnational claims in the courts.

Source
Frenemos las Demandas de Transnacionales - Misión Internacional

Campaigners push corporations to divest in deep sea mining, as major shipping company Maersk pulls investment

By Prianka Srinivasan, ABC Pacific 

Danish shipping company Maersk has become the latest company to pull its investment from deep sea mining....

Mining Watch Canada has been lobbying companies to end their support of deep sea mining on environmental and human rights grounds.

But its Deep Seabed Mining campaigner Catherine Coumans said it was likely economic concerns that were prompting companies to pull their funding.

Source
ABC News - Pacific

Communities Call for Respect, Barrick Responds with Aggression

Submitted by Catherine on
Special Blog Type

From Alaska to Papua New Guinea, communities were paying close attention to Barrick Gold’s annual shareholders meeting on May 2 in Toronto. The meeting came after seven communities affected by Barrick mines launched a Global Week of Action calling out the gap between Barrick’s supposed human rights commitments and its track record on the ground. They presented cases of oppressive violence, perpetual water pollution, violations of Indigenous Rights, and destroyed livelihoods. With protests and actions in the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Nevada and Alaska, they called Barrick’s social license to operate into question. Article co-written by Jan Morrill and Catherine Coumans.

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