Working group at UN

LAMMP attended the introductory exchange between stakeholders and the United Nations’ Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, which was held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 20th January.

Project Director Glevys Rondón submitted the following:

1. LAMMP works in Latin America in partnership with rural and indigenous groups suffering the impact of destructive mining projects.

2. Our two key points to the working group are:

2.1. To focus your work on what is actually happening on the ground,where mining corporations are behaving irresponsibly. The Marlin mine in Guatemala is an emblematic example of what corporations can do: not just to undermine peace and the rule of law in the region but also to dismiss concerns presented by indigenous communities before the Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) – the region’s most respected institution and an independent body of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

On the 20^th May 2010 after studying evidence presented in 2007 by groups in support of Mayan communities directly affected by the Marlin mine (wholly owned by Canadian Goldcorp), the IACHR in an unprecedented step called (MC-260-07) on the government of Guatemala to adopt precautionary measures, including the suspension of the activities of the Marlin mine by 24^th June 2010. The IACHR also ordered the government to implement effective measures to protect the health of more than 18 indigenous communities of San Miguel Ixtahuacán. In March 2010 the International Labor Organization (ILO) had also formally requested the mine’s suspension.

Despite promises that it would comply, a few months later (8^th July 2011) the Guatemalan government concluded that there was no basis for suspending operation of the mine. Despite public outcry, on 11^th July 2011 the government of Guatemala petitioned the IACHR to declare the precautionary measures to be without further effect. On 20^th December 2011 the IACHR notified the Guatemalan government of its decision to withdraw its demand that Guatemala close Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine.

 2.2 To focus your work on rural and indigenous women as the most vulnerable group within communities affected by mining projects. Their concerns are routinely ignored, and women who insist are ridiculed on the grounds that mining has no impact on the private world of women.

3. As Professor Ruggie and the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People have repeatedly stated, violations of human rights in Latin America are very serious and linked to mining activities. We urge the working group to consider visiting the region. We pledge our support to such a visit.