Catherine Coumans

Ph.D. Research Coordinator and Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator

Blog Entries

Reported Violence against Indigenous Kuria by Mine Police at Barrick Gold’s North Mara Gold Mine during 2023-2024
NGOs Express Concern over Canada’s Engagement at the International Seabed Authority
Baru Gold faces Legal Defeat, Permit Revocation, and Rejection by the Youth of Sangihe Island in Indonesia
Letter to Minister Joly: Canada Must Join the Call for a Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining
Communities Call for Respect, Barrick Responds with Aggression
The Metals Company Loses Second Major Investor as Maersk Divests
Conflict, Environmental Harm and Human Rights Abuse Allegations – What Barrick Shareholders Need to Know
Gold miner faces global protests as it rekindles a mine with a violent legacy
Sangihe Islanders Win Another Important Legal Victory Against Canada’s Baru Gold’s Plans to Mine on the Small Island
Letter to Barrick Gold: Ongoing Concerns About Forced Evictions
Canada’s Mining Dominance and Failure to Protect Environmental and Human Rights Abroad
Catherine Coumans Testifies Before Standing Committee on International Trade
ADVISORY: Public Demonstration Calling for a Global Moratorium on Deep-Sea Mining
Letter to Barrick Gold: Forced Evictions and Related Human Rights Abuses Ongoing at North Mara Gold Mine
Urgent Letter to Barrick Gold: Halt Forced Evictions at the North Mara Gold Mine
Barrick Gold Corp.’s Porgera Joint Venture Mine: A Legacy of Ignoring Human and Environmental Rights Abuses
Proposed Revisions to the National Contact Point Again Fall Short of Necessary Reforms
Barrick’s Rhetoric Belies the Lived Reality of Communities at its Mines Around the World
Court Rules Ottawa Can Maintain Secrecy on Aid to Goldcorp in Human Rights Dispute
Canadians ask Federal Government to Support Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining
Global Support for a Moratorium or Ban on Deep Seabed Mining
Canada’s Role in Deep Seabed Mining
Comments on Nauru Ocean Resources Incorporated's Collector Test Environmental Impact Statement
MiningWatch Supports Complaint Filed with OECD Against Canada’s National Contact Point for OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
Petition Launched in Canada for International Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining
Canada’s Role in Deep Seabed Mining
Shareholder Advisory: The Proposed Business Combination Between Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition and DeepGreen
Shareholder Advisory Alerts Investors on DeepGreen-SOAC Merger
Barrick Gold Mines Focus of Conflict Globally
Barrick Gold lost its 'social licence' in Papua New Guinea. This is the price it's paying to earn it back
Barrick Forces Hand of Papua New Guinea Government in Reopening Porgera Mine
Greenwash + Blank Cheque Company ≠  Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance
Petition vs human rights abuses in PH tabled in Canadian Parliament
​Parliamentary Petition Calls on Canada to Act on Human Rights Abuses in the Philippines
Canadian Organizations Call on Canada to Halt Mining of the Seabed
OceanaGold Still Unwanted in the Philippines
“It Did Not Go Well” – Barrick Continues Pressure on Papua New Guinea Government While Ignoring Human Rights
Canada’s National Contact Point: Long Overdue for an Overhaul
Canada’s National Contact Point is Long Overdue for an Overhaul
Parliamentary Petition Addresses Human Rights Crisis in the Philippines, Mining, and Canada's Role
Submission on United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 4/19 on Mineral Resource Governance
Papua New Guinea Landowners' Fears Confirmed: Bismarck Sea At Risk; Canadian Conic Metals Unresponsive
Papua New Guinea Seeks to Amend 1992 Mining Act – Implications for Renewal of Porgera Mine Lease
Civil Society of Tonga Speaks Out Against Plans to Mine the Deep Sea
Mining The Deep Sea Could Mean Unique Ecosystems Are 'Lost Forever'
Barrick Gold AGM 2020 – CEO Mark Bristow Responds to Questions about North Mara Mine in Tanzania
Barrick Gold AGM 2020 – CEO Mark Bristow Responds to Questions about Porgera Mine
Barrick Gold AGM Faces Continued Failure on Human Rights
Still No Justice for Marinduque’s Mining Victims
Tanzanian Victims Commence Legal Action Against Barrick Gold in UK
Comments on FinDev Canada’s Draft Environmental & Social Policy
Critique of the Government of Canada’s 2014 “Enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy: To Strengthen Canada’s Extractive Sector Abroad”
Mining the Deep Sea: Stories for Suckers, and Corporate Capture of the UN
Trudeau Government Drops Writ and Publishes Revised Ombudsperson Mandate, Again Fails to Provide Necessary Powers to Investigate Corporate Abuse of Human Rights
Protests in Ottawa and Vancouver Part of Global Day of Action Against Oceanagold
OceanaGold Philippines Mine Shut Down – Villagers Blockade Site, Permit Renewal Withheld
Indigenous Peoples Blockade OceanaGold Mine in the Philippines: Company Operates Despite Expired Licence
Barrick Negotiations with Papua New Guinea Landowners Stall
International Media Expose Human Rights Abuses by Security at Barrick Gold’s North Mara Mine in Tanzania
“Boxing with My Hands Tied Behind My Back”: Barrick Grievance Mechanism in Tanzania Not Fair, Say Lawyer, Village Representatives
Notes for UN Special Rapporteur on Hazardous Substances and Wastes
New CEO, Same Human Rights and Environmental Abuses at Barrick Mine Sites
Canada Still Needs an Ombudsperson to Investigate Mining Cases – Not an Advisor to the Minister of International Trade or another CSR Counsellor
State Duty to Protect Human Rights: How Canada’s Embassy Staff and Trade Commissioners Are Not Fulfilling Their Duty
Submission to the United Nations Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries
Nautilus Seeks Financial Protection: Key players looked after at the expense of small shareholders and Papua New Guinea
No Bankroll for Deep Sea Mining Experiment
Take Action – Canada’s Promised Human Rights Ombudsperson Has Gone Missing
GAME OVER! Papua New Guinea Deep Sea Mining Experiment Fails
Remedy Gone Wrong: Barrick Gold’s Grievance Mechanism in Tanzania Deepens Harm
Growing Bougainville’s Future: Choices for an Island and its people
Bougainville: To mine or not to mine?
Tanzania: Victims of North Mara Gold Mine Violence Find No Justice in New Compensation Scheme
Inequality of Arms: A summary of concerns raised by victims of violence by private and public mine security at Barrick Gold’s North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania regarding the mine’s new Operation-level Grievance Mechanism
Solwara 1 Project Is a Dangerous and Bad Investment
What Happened to Boi Nelson Nai at the Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea?
Response to Barrick Gold Subsidiary Acacia Mining on Alleged Excess Use of Force by Mine Security at the North Mara Gold Mine
Letter to Acacia Mining re: new report of violent death and ongoing concerns regarding access to remedy for victims at the North Mara Gold Mine
Correspondence with Acacia Mining re: Use of Force by Mine Security at the North Mara Gold Mine, Tanzania.
Chemical Exposure at Porgera Mine Anawe Waste Site, Papua New Guinea
Anger Boils Over at North Mara Mine – Barrick/Acacia Leave Human Rights Abuses Unaddressed
​Barrick Gold Tanzania Operations Accused of Financial and Human Rights Abuses – Executives Once Again Fail to Address Human Rights Abuses
Nautilus to Go Under Before Reaching the Ocean Floor
Remarks to the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights on Operational-Level Grievance Mechanisms
Indigenous Women from Papua New Guinea Appeal to Government of Canada for Help Obtaining Remedy for Ongoing Human Rights Abuses at Barrick Mine
Background: Indigenous Ipili Women Speak Out at Barrick AGM 2017
Statements and Questions from Everlyn Guape and Joycelyn Mandi at Barrick Gold’s 2017 Annual Meeting
Village Houses Burnt Down – Again – at Barrick Mine in Papua New Guinea; Violence Against Local Men and Women Continues Unabated
119 Indigenous Women Demand Justice from Barrick Gold at UN Forum in Geneva
Video Message from Porgera Women to UN Forum on Business and Human Rights
North Mara, Tanzania – Unanswered questions for Acacia Mining and Barrick Gold
In Need of Repair: Acacia Mining’s Grievance Mechanism at North Mara Gold Mine, Tanzania
Victims of Violence at Barrick Mines in Papua New Guinea and Tanzania Demand Justice
Broken Bones and Broken Promises: Barrick Gold Fails to Address Ongoing Violence at Tanzania Mine
SOS: The World’s Oceans Facing Emergency; Singapore Summit Set to Worsen the Crisis
Deep Sea Mining – A new frontier for ecosystem destruction
Letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights re: Barrick Gold’s Grievance Mechanism at Porgera Mine
Privatized Remedy and Human Rights: Re-thinking Project-Level Grievance Mechanisms
Book review: Leviathans at the Gold Mine: Creating Indigenous and Corporate Actors in Papua New Guinea
Lawyers Say Barrick Thwarts Access to Justice for Victims of Violence
Brief on Concerns Related to Project-Level Non-Judicial Grievance Mechanisms
Canada’s Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy Up in the Air Yet Again
Groups Rally on Parliament Hill to Demand Ombudsman for Extractive Industries
MiningWatch's Concerns Related to Project-Level Non-Judicial Grievance Mechanisms
A Pattern of Abuse: Human Rights at Risk at African Barrick's North Mara Mine in Tanzania
Submission to the Government of Canada’s Review of Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy for the Canadian Extractive Sector
UN High Commissioner Responds Regarding Barrick’s Porgera Abuses
The Federal CSR Counsellor Has Left the Building - Can we now have an effective ombudsman mechanism for the extractive sector?
Philippines: Marinduque ‘Pushed to the Wall’ by Barrick Gold
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Responds to Allegations Regarding Porgera "Remedy" Framework
Global Condemnation of Barrick’s Effort to Secure Legal Immunity from Rape Victims
Barrick Under Global Pressure to Withdraw Conditions on Remedy for PNG Rape Victims
Letter to UN Commissioner for Human Rights re: Barrick Gold's "grievance" procedure for victims of rape by security guards at the Porgera Joint Venture mine in Papua New Guinea
Globe and Mail Proclaims on Rapes in Papua New Guinea
CIDA’s Partnership with Mining Companies Fails to Acknowledge and Address the Role of Mining in the Creation of Development Deficits
Having the Ruggie Pulled Out From Under Us: From “Sanction and Remedy” to non-judicial grievance mechanisms
MiningWatch and Papua New Guinea Partners File Complaint on Porgera Mine
Request for Review of the Operations of Barrick Gold Corp. at the Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea
OECD Complaint Filed Against Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines in Mongolia
Bill C-300 – Private Member's Bill Promotes Industry and Government Accountability
The Government’s New “CSR Counsellor” for the Extractive Sector
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development Presentation Regarding Bill C-300
MiningWatch Canada Position Statement on Bill C-300
Backgrounder: Issues Related to Barrick’s Porgera Joint Venture Mine in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Hosts International Meeting on Ocean Dumping of Mine Waste
Meeting with Partners at Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea
Placer Dome Admits to Killings at Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea
Summary of Findings from Environmental Studies of Calancan Bay related to Surface Disposal Dumping of Mine Tailings into the Bay from the Tapian Pit of the Marcopper Mine
House of Commons Committee tells Government - “Regulate Canadian Mining Companies Abroad - Investigate TVI Pacific in the Philippines
38th Parliament, 1st Session: Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Placer Dome and Corporate Social Responsibility
INCO's Scott Hand Visits New Caledonia
New Caledonia Factsheet
Backgrounder: Asia Pacific Resources in Thailand
Inco in New Caledonia: Protests Erupt Over Shut Down of Prony and Goro
Backgrounder: What's INCO doing in New Caledonia?
Environmental Advisory Committee Chair Quits Over River Pollution at Placer Dome's Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea
Shareholders Demand Placer Dome Disclose Environmental Risk