Presentation to the National Roundtables on Corporate Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Sector in Developing Countries

By Rev. Ernest Schibli, Social Justice Committee
November 14, 2006

Good morning. My name is Ernest Schibli. I am a Roman Catholic priest working with the Social Justice Committee, based here in Montreal.

The Social Justice Committee, or SJC, is an independent non-profit human rights organization working in the field of development education since 1975. An important aspect of our work has long been the accompaniment of the people of Central America in their quest for social justice and the respect of their human rights – civil, political, socio-economic and cultural. In recent years we have worked with the Movimiento de Trabajadores Campesinos (Farm Workers Movement) in the department of San Marcos, Guatemala. It was they who asked our support in their struggle against the Marlin gold and silver mine.

As a frequent visitor to Guatemala and the rest of Central America during the nineteen-eighties when the wars of repression were in full swing, I can attest to the pride I then felt in being Canadian. A contributing factor was the strong support extended both to the people of the region and to organizations such as the SJC by both the Canadian embassy in Guatemala and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

That is why it particularly pains me to see the disdain in which Canada and the Canadian embassy are now held by an increasing number of Central Americans. There are several reasons for this but the one of most relevance to this meeting has to do with the activities of Canadian-registered mining companies and the strong support given them by the Canadian embassy in Guatemala.

As this is the fourth city you are visiting, I realize you have already heard many of the complaints voiced by the communities in which these mines are being developed so I will only say that my experience visiting communities in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras leads me to say that most of the complaints are well-founded. Just a few minutes ago, one of my colleagues at the SJC handed me a message that had just arrived from Guatemala describing the violent eviction of indigenous people from land claimed by them and a mining company.

We have been requested to come up with specific suggestions on how to make things better for all concerned. This is not something that we as an NGO can easily do with our limited resources. However, there are a few things we would like to say.

First, the SJC stands firmly alongside those who are calling for binding regulations for mining companies working beyond Canada’s borders to adhere to high human rights and environmental standards. This would include the right of communities to determine the type of development that they desire. Too many national governments demonstrate either an unwillingness or an inability to protect their own people.

Second, we also call upon the Canadian government and its agencies to refrain from giving any assistance to those companies that do not respect these rights and standards. This would include the position that Canada would take at the World Bank or any of the regional development banks in which Canada has a say.

Third, given that Canada is a major player in international mining, it is only right that we move decisively in searching for means to ensure that the international community does much better in protecting the natural environment and the rights of people whose lives are likely to be affected by the mines. Canada cannot sit on the sidelines waiting for other countries to act first.

Fourth, there is one specific suggestion that I would like to make. Permit me to use the Marlin mine as an example. If we were to look at those in favor of the mine, we would find, at the very least: the mining company, the Guatemalan government, the World Bank, and the Government of Canada. Those opposed to the mine would include local, largely indigenous, communities, environmental groups, the Catholic Church and some international solidarity. From a political and economic perspective, the power is overwhelmingly with those favoring the mine. 

Some of those opposed to the mine have told us that they lack the economic resources to hire lawyers, translators and other experts to assist them. As many of these mines are located in poor areas of impoverished countries, this probably occurs quite frequently.

To somewhat restore the balance, we would suggest that Canada establish some type of fund to assist those communities that would be affected by a Canadian-owned mine to obtain the knowledge and expertise that they would require to make an informed decision as to whether they want the mine and under what conditions. This fund could be administered by a committee composed of representatives of the Canadian government and of human rights and indigenous organizations. As for funding, this could come from a tax levied on the mining companies requesting to initiate the mine.

I thank you for your kind attention.