The Global Justice Clinic has submitted a report to the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concerning the environmental and human rights risks that metal mining poses in Haiti. The submission is the first report submitted to the UPR concerning mining in Haiti. Due to serious human rights and environmental concerns, the submission calls for a moratorium on metal mining. The submission is based on a report entitled Byen Konte, Mal Kalkile? Human Rights and Environmental Risks of Gold Mining in Haiti, recently published by GJC and the Haiti Justice Initiative.
Although there are no active metal mines in Haiti yet, the government has identified the mining industry as key to the country’s economic growth. In the past ten years companies have reportedly invested over $30 million into exploration activities and the World Bank recently provided technical support to rewrite Haitian mining law. However, Haitian communities, including those that have been affected by exploration activity, have been excluded from conversations about the development of the industry. It is in this context that the UPR submission presents the violations of the rights to participation and information. In addition, the report warns that if the mineral sector continues to develop, it could exacerbate violations of the rights to water, food, a healthy environment, and freedom from forced displacement. The UPR submission was endorsed by the Kolektif Jistis Min (Justice in Mining Collective), a platform made up of 6 Haitian human rights and civil society organizations, as well as four advocacy organizations.
Read the full report here.
This report first appeared on chrgj.org.