Access to Justice for Latin American Communities Resisting Extractive Companies
Throughout Latin American communities, human rights are affected by the activities of extractive companies who exploit oil, gas, gold, silver, iron, copper, tin, and other resources within their territories. In most cases, the communities are not informed about extractive projects initiated on their sacred lands, nor do they have a say in the decision-making process. Natural resources extraction contaminates waters and lands, has a negative impact on health and ecosystems. Those standing up for their rights are often criminalised. Throughout the pandemic extractive activities have continued despite resistance from communities.
In most cases there is no access to justice at the national level for communities whose human rights are violated. It’s therefore significant that mandatory business and human rights standards are being developed at international level through the negotiations for a United Nations Treaty on Business and Human Rights and new European Union legislation on human rights and environmental due diligence for corporations that will include provisions on access to justice. The aims of this webinar are to hear about the extractivism context in Latin America, to discuss how business and human rights standards and their implementation can guarantee access to justice for Latin American communities and to learn about experiences in this field.
Invited speakers
- Ms Amanda Romero-Medina, Latin America and Caribbean Researcher & Representative, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
- Mr Roberto Ortiz Velázquez, Coordinator of the Committee to Promote and Defense Life Samuel Ruiz García, Chiapas, Mexico
- Mr Alejandro García Pedraza, Co-founder and Former Director of the Environmental Committee in Defense of Life – SOS Ambiental, Tolima, Colombia
- Mr Giuseppe Cioffo, Corporate Regulation and Extractives Officer, CIDSE, International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations
Moderator: Ms Martha Inés Romero, Latin American and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Pax Christi International.