This article by Whitney Gravelle, Lindsay Bailey, Tamara Morgenthau, and Marco Simons was originally published on Just Security. One day in July 2010, residents of Marshall, Michigan, smelled something toxic in the air and called 9-1-1. It took over 17 hours for Canadian oil giant Enbridge to detect that its Line 6b pipeline had ruptured. In that time, … Read More.
When exiting investments, MDBs must address negative impacts of projects on communities What happens when the private sector arms of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) exit their investments without addressing negative impacts and project-related harms, thus leaving project-affected communities without proper remedial actions? We examine seven IFC and IDB Invest cases to draw specific recommendations for … Read More.
“Land provides the principal basis for human livelihoods.” With this statement the IPCC begins the Summary for Policy Makers of its new Special Report on Climate Change and Land. In the report, the IPCC sends a clear message that we need urgent action to combat the climate crisis. Only by achieving “compatibility between specific land … Read More.
In 2013, Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto Peña Nieto touted the country’s energy reform as a “historic opportunity” to “transform and elevate the quality of life of all Mexicans.” The constitutional changes, which ended decades-long monopolies on oil, gas, and electricity held by two state-owned companies, have both Mexican and foreign private competitors salivating at … Read More.
With an important contractor exiting the project, more cost overruns, and the recent death of an employee, the Alto Maipo hydroelectric project is facing new crippling challenges The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project (PHAM) is a hydroelectric mega-project near Santiago, Chile, that has repeatedly come under fire for environmental, social, and financial reasons. In the wake … Read More.
We dreamed of the day when we could share this news. Last week, the government of El Salvador voted to ban outright all metal mining in the country. The decision makes the small Central American country the first to halt a modern day gold rush, effectively stopping all mining projects in the pipeline. When the … Read More.
The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction just outside Santiago, Chile, threatens the water supply for over 7 million Chileans, and will have long-term devastating environmental impacts. Concerned citizens call the project “unviable” and are calling for it to be halted. From January 23-26, Marcela Mella, spokesperson of the Citizen Coordinating Committee in Defense of … Read More.
By Ariadni Chatziantoniou and Kelsey Alford-Jones In early November 2016, Panama withdrew the Barro Blanco hydroelectric power plant project from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – the first time a host country has withdrawn a CDM registration due to human rights concerns. Specifically, the project failed to respect the rights of the indigenous Ngäbe people. … Read More.
In Latin America, environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) are increasingly targeted for raising concerns about the potential impacts of development projects on local communities’ livelihoods and environments. To address the threats faced by EHRDs in Latin America as they defend the right to a healthy environment, CIEL and Article 19 have published a report called … Read More.
The World Bank is one week away from voting on the new Safeguard policy, and the future of community voices in development projects hangs delicately in the balance. Yet, as it stands, the World Bank Safeguards policy may continue to devalue community voices by failing to require that crucial information on development projects be shared … Read More.
In the aftermath of the deaths of more environmental activists last week, it could not be more clear that governments around the world are unable or unwilling to effectively protect environmental defenders. Following the death of Berta Cáceres and intense international pressure for justice and the protection of her compañer@s, the government of Honduras has … Read More.
Amongst growing international pressure on the Honduran government for the murder of Berta Cáceres, another indigenous environmental activist was murdered last Wednesday in Honduras. Like Cáceres, Lesbia Yaneth Urquía was a member of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) and had opposed a hydroelectric project – this time in San … Read More.
One month has passed since the assassination of Berta Cáceres. Over the course of that month, the Honduran Government has engaged in a questionable and clandestine investigation into the tragedy, diverting attention away from those with the most likely motive to kill an advocate for indigenous land rights and who sent her death threats, and … Read More.
Your energy and advocacy sparked a global momentum shift over the past year, and we are on the cusp of true, transformative change. On all fronts, you have defended your right to a healthy planet. With your support, you help CIEL… Advance Climate Justice For three years, we’ve highlighted the growing legal and financial risks … Read More.
Every fifteen days in the Celendín province of Peru, hundreds of community members trek through the Andes Mountains to participate in a peaceful march to pristine high altitude lakes. Although the backdrop of their activity could be picturesque vacation location, for this group of vigilant protestors, the site has been marred with bloodshed, persecution, and … Read More.
Just days before hundreds of world leaders and human rights defenders will convene in Lima, Peru to attend the Annual Meetings of the World Bank, the world is watching the country as a violent confrontation with police over a copper mining project in the Apurimac region has left at least 4 protestors dead and dozens … Read More.
Corporate accountability for human rights abuses, such as slavery, torture, forced eviction, and child labor, is an area internationally recognized as needing significant improvement. Through its recent initiatives, the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) is attempting to address this issue and increase access to remedies for victims of business-related human … Read More.
There was a lot of expectation around Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment entitled “Laudato Si’” or “Praise Be to You.” The papal encyclical deals with current environmental issues, with a special focus on climate change. Undoubtedly, such a document is going to have a meaningful impact on the climate debate at both the international … Read More.
In October, the Special Rapporteur on Right to Food Ms. Hilal Elver will present her report to the Human Rights Council, just a couple of months before the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or CoP21, whose aim is to reach a legally binding agreement to combat climate change. Her … Read More.
In one of my last posts, I noted that for years, Parties, civil society, and indigenous groups have been working out how to simultaneously protect forests and combat climate change, and that the June 2015 climate negotiations would provide a great opportunity to ensure that rights and ecological integrity were at the forefront of this … Read More.
Mexico is on a roll in demonstrating its commitment to address climate change. This week, it was the first developing country to submit its official contribution to the United Nations to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as part of a new international climate agreement. This contribution pledge is also the first and only one to … Read More.
Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) is a rare variety of tropical tree valued worldwide for its usefulness as beautiful interior hardwoods. Since 1992, Afrormosia has been listed under Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which concerns species that experts fear could verge on extinction if their trade … Read More.
After more than three years embroiled in community conflicts, legal complaints, and violence, Tahoe Resources’ (Tahoe) controversial operations at its Escobal silver mine in Guatemala has cost the company a major investor: Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. Last week, Norway’s Government Pension Fund-Global, the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, announced it has divested from … Read More.
Under pressure from the global community (including CIEL), Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global has divested from some companies in the fossil fuel industry and is considering divesting from more. The Fund announced this week that during 2014 it divested from more than 20 companies with operations in coal mining, oil sands, and coal-fired power production. … Read More.
Colombia’s thirty-four páramos are unique, high-altitude wetland ecosystems that serve as vital sources of freshwater for nearby inhabitants’ survival. To those who don’t directly rely on a healthy páramo ecosystem for life, however, these highlands have a different draw: precious metals buried deep beneath the surface. Therein lies the problem. In 1994, Greystar Resources Limited, … Read More.
Last week, CIEL submitted a letter to an expert group that is tasked with evaluating whether Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund Global, should divest from companies engaged in the fossil fuel industry. At the end of November, the expert group will present its divestment recommendations. If Norway decides to divest, it will … Read More.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has decided to begin drafting an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses. On June 26, 2014, the HRC voted in favor of a resolution to establish an intergovernmental working group that would create an instrument for regulating transnational corporations with regard to human … Read More.
A new amicus brief supports human rights and environmental protection in El Salvador’s battle to uphold environmental laws against Pac Rim Mining Corporation’s lawsuit. On July 25, CIEL co-hosted a brownbag lunch discussion featuring Teodoro Antonio Pacheco, a Salvadoran environmental activist who is speaking out against the Pac Rim Mining Corporation’s (Pac Rim) most recent … Read More.
A violent eviction occurred only three months after La Puya celebrated its second anniversary of a round-the-clock peaceful protest at the Tambor mine entrance in Guatemala. May 23, 2014: Over 300 anti-riot police approach the Tambor gold mine entrance in San Jose del Golfo, propelling tear gas canisters towards the courageous environmental defenders that make … Read More.
On May 23, 2014, a small delegation representing 80 human rights, environmental, indigenous, and faith-based organizations delivered a joint statement to the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, DC, calling for protection and justice for the people in Cajamarca, Peru, who are working to defend their land and their rights. The statement expresses concern for the violent … Read More.
Tahoe Resource Inc.’s Escobal silver mine in the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores, southeastern Guatemala, is the subject of local opposition and ongoing legal processes. Community leaders have faced repression, criminalization, and violence for their efforts to promote consultation processes with local residents. Despite the conflict, Tahoe put the mine into operation even before … Read More.
As negotiators prepare for the next round of negotiations between the U.S. and EU on a new trade agreement, an ‘investor’ has filed a lawsuit against Canada under an old one. Lone Pine Resources filed suit under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) seeking $250 million Canadian dollars in damages due to Quebec’s moratorium … Read More.
As we arrive in La Puya, an enormous banner spans the breadth of the roadway: “The extraction of our natural resources only means progress for the foreigners. NO TO MINING.” Past the banner at the entrance to the “El Tambor” project, owned by U.S.-based Kappes, Cassidy and Associates, more than 50 people are gathered in … Read More.
Following the UN climate talks in Durban can be a tedious business. Even for a conference junkie like me. There are times when the discussions get so mired in petty political bargaining that it’s hard to keep the bigger picture in mind. People seem to forget why they’re actually there: to find a solution to … Read More.
What does the new blockbuster hit Cowboys and Aliens (starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig) have in common with the Marlin Mine in Guatemala? Or rather, what do cowboys, aliens and Goldcorp all have in common? An unquenchable thirst for gold. My most recent trip to the box office promised action, aliens, and Harrison Ford. … Read More.
We’re off to Vancouver! As I type this post at 30,000ft flying over Ontario, we are in crunch time preparing for Goldcorp’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Vancouver, BC this Wednesday, May 18th! CIEL is a member of the International Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala (CAMIGUA), which works to defend the rights of the … Read More.
As the muted colors of the Guatemalan altiplano blurred by the tinted windows of the van, something in the valley caught my eye: an enormous, nearly glowing chartreuse-colored body of water. Closer inspection revealed this unnatural color emanated from the residual waters in the tailings pond of Goldcorp Inc.’s Marlin Mine in San Marcos, Guatemala. … Read More.
During Colombia’s periodic review by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, specifically the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, several recommendations were made relating to intellectual property (IP) rights. The official UN report can be found here and CIEL’s publications relating to Trade Agreements and IP can be accessed here. … Read More.