Independent Accountability Needed for Canadian Mining Companies Abroad

Over 20,000 people from the mining industry gathered in Toronto for the annual conference of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada last week. This is known as one of the largest mining conferences in the world and reflects Canadas worldwide dominance in the mining industry. However, some Canadian mining companies have come under criticism for human rights violations associated with their projects overseas. Most recently, the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project released a detailed report documenting over 400 people harmed, including over 40 deaths over a 15-year period, in Latin America alone, associated with Canadian mining activity. Three cases are now proceeding in Canada regarding allegations of rape, murder, slavery, and serious bodily harm.