Time to counter human rights abuses by Canada’s mining companies

Access to remedy is a fundamental component to the “protect, respect and remedy” framework laid out in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011 and supported by Canada. Yet our book demonstrates that access to remedy remains elusive for most people, such as:

The Omai gold in Guyana, where a tailings pond failed in August 1995, flooding a river with hazardous material and causing serious harm to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of residents.

The Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea, involving the failure of a mine waste containment system and the flooding of local rivers with harmful waste.

The dumping of toxic waste originating from Europe in 18 communities in Côte d’Ivoire in 2006, which resulted in more than 100,000 people seeking medical treatment.

The 1984 Bhopal gas leak in India, which resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 people. More than 570,000 people, many of whom are still suffering, were exposed to damaging levels of toxic gas.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/05/08/time_to_counter_human_rights_abuses_by_canadas_mining_companies.html