Aim-Traded Mining Companies and Human Rights

This paper sets out to assess and draw conclusions from eight brief case studies that illustrate human rights impacts and controversies - including in relation to environmental rights - arising from current and planned operations of mining companies with shares traded on the London Stock Exchange's secondary AIM market: Arc Minerals (Ortac Resources) in Eritrea, Berkeley Energia in Spain, Beowulf Mining in Sweden, Condor Gold in Nicaragua, Dalradian Resources in Northern Ireland, GCM Resources in Bangladesh, MC Mining (Coal of Africa) in South Africa and Metals Exploration in the Philippines. Seven of these cases involve primarily harms or threats to the lives and livelihoods of local communities living close to mining sites. The eighth (Arc/Ortac in Eritrea) relates chiefly to national-level forced labour practices.