In 2007, the Chinese consortium Xiamen Zijin Tongguan Investment Development Co Ltd took over the British mining company and transferred its headquarters from London to Hong Kong. The injunction, applied in June 2009, prohibited the company from disposing of its assets. If courts in the United Kingdom find Monterrico Metals to be responsible for the human rights violations inflicted on the farmers, it will be required to pay adequate compensation to the injured individuals and the communities to which they belong.
Oxfam International in Peru welcomes the British High Court’s decision. In Lima, Javier Aroca, coordinator of Oxfam International’s Extractive Industries Program in South America, expressed his satisfaction with the verdict issued on October 16, 2009. “This is an important step forward in the defense of human rights in Peru. It establishes a precedent and acknowledges the abuse to which the citizens who expressed their opposition to the expansion of mining in their communities were subjected”, he explained.
In August 2005, 27 men and two women were detained and held for three days at the Rio Blanco mine site in a remote area of northern Peru. They had been protesting against the development of the mine, which is the major asset of Monterrico Metals. According to their witness statements, the unarmed protestors were held against their will and subjected to physical and psychological torture allegedly by the Peruvian police, mine employees, and mine security guards. One farmer died.
Attempts to seek justice through the Peruvian courts have been slow and difficult. In March of this year, Peruvian prosecutors accused the police of torture, but cleared the mining company and private security firm Forza of wrongdoing. Thirty-one claimants, including all of the alleged victims held at the mine site, are now pursuing their case in the English courts, arguing that the company must have known of the conditions in which they were being detained, but failed to take steps to prevent or end their ordeal. Oxfam’s partner organization, FEDEPAZ (the Ecumenical Foundation for Development and Peace), together with the CNDDHH (Peru’s National Human Rights Coordinating Committee) filed the complaint on behalf of the victims and has been providing them with legal assistance in this case. FEDEPAZ said in a statement that this injunction confirming the freezing of Monterrico Metals’ assets constitutes an unprecedented achievement in the fight against impunity and marks an extremely important step toward the goal of achieving justice for the victims.
Oxfam soon will be releasing two video reports about this case.
]]>Once in the shelter of schools and community buildings, many felt the impact of another Oxfam preparedness measure: a nearby warehouse stocked with essentials. Events like hurricanes and earthquakes that put communities at risk often damage and destroy the roads and bridges that connect them with outside help. The Oxfam warehouse, which is located in a hazardous region of the country, helped ensure that we could move emergency equipment to the shelters quickly and safely.
So when disaster struck, Oxfam aid reached three shelters in the hard-hit areas of Zacatecoluca, Melara, and Puerto La Libertad within hours of the arrival of displaced families. Industrial kitchen equipment and utensils and tanks of clean water helped ensure that there was food to eat and water to drink, and mattresses provided a measure of comfort.
Oxfam also quickly purchased materials for distribution, so other shelters in Zacatecoluca and San Salvador soon received deliveries of first aid kits, hygiene materials, and food, as well as pickaxes, wheelbarrows, and shovels to facilitate the clean-up effort around shelters.
Meanwhile, teams of staff and partners were fanning out across the affected areas to determine how best to meet the longer-term needs of those who have suffered the loss of homes and the means to make a living.
“Disaster preparedness can save lives and help alleviate suffering and economic losses,” says Oxfam America humanitarian response director Michael Delaney. “We hope our supporters will help us sustain and expand this program so we can continue to help communities and partners plan ahead.”
Read more about Oxfam’s preparedness work in El Salvador.
Donate now to Oxfam’s Global Emergency Response.
To see the video clips of these songs, click on the links below:
Stop a la violencia de género (Stop Violence against Women)
Tú y yo (You and Me)
Gender based violence is far too common in El Salvador, Central America’s smallest country with a population of a little over six million. Domestic violence, sexual harassment, psychological abuse, and rape are widespread, while femicide—the murder of women—has reached epidemic levels. With 347 and 348 femicides in 2007 and 2008 respectively, the rates are among the highest in Central America.
Oxfam America, together with eight other development and women’s rights organizations, is working to reduce the levels of gender based violence, and create changes in behavior, practices and beliefs in El Salvador, a country with deeply rooted ‘machista’ culture.
For the last five years, the campaign has worked on training women in rural areas, professionals and female legislators. However, the most innovative strategy of the campaign is the work with youth; every country’s future.
A new, innovative approach is the EDUCO-BUS, which travels to public schools, and uses music and theater to engage students. The bus’ activities, such as interactive theatre, cooperative games and choreography, provoke critical thinking on gender roles and violence, demonstrate that every individual has the power to change the course of gender violence and talk about what can be done to stop it. Over 40,000 students have participated in the EDUCO-BUS program.
]]>These contracts determine how much governments will receive from the development of their resources and have important implications for communities, human rights, and the environment. While much international attention has been given to transparency and management of government revenues from these industries, less attention has been paid to the underlying agreements between companies and host governments.
The conference discussed the political and legal context of extractive industry contracts; licensing and negotiation; confidentiality and transparency of contracts; citizen and parliamentary participation in negotiation; approval and monitoring of contracts; the financial "take" of the government contracts; and contract renegotiation experiences. Specific experiences in Liberia, Ghana, Peru and Azerbaijan were also examined from a variety of perspectives. Conference participants discussed key areas for a reform agenda as a contribution towards addressing the “resource curse”.
The one-day international conference brought together international NGOs, civil society groups from developing countries, academics and researchers, international financial institutions, corporate and government representatives, and legal practitioners. (Participants came from Ghana, Liberia, Peru, Bolivia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Angola, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Equatorial Guinea, Cambodia, Europe, Canada, and the United States.)
A summary conference report will be available shortly. For more information on the conference, please contact Ian Gary at Oxfam America, igary@oxfamamerica.org, or Susan Maples at Columbia University School of Law, smaple1@law.columbia.edu.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES CONTRACTS
Oxfam America, Oxfam Novib, Revenue Watch Institute, International Institute for Environment and Development, Global Witness, Bank Information Center, Publish What You Pay – USA
September 23, 2009
House of Sweden, Alfred Nobel Hall
Washington, DC, 20007
Ian Gary – Senior Policy Advisor – Extractive Industries, Oxfam America – “Breaking the Resource Curse – the Importance of Addressing Contract Issues”
Click here for the audio recording, or download the file here.
Moderator – Ian Gary
The Political, Social and Legal Context of Company-Host Government EI Agreements – Historical Trends, External Constraints and Latest Developments
Click here for the audio recording or download the file here.
Moderator - Kyla Tienhaara - postdoctoral researcher - Regulatory Institutions Network - Australian National University
Click here for the audio recording or download the file here (includes panel above on US Congressional action).
Moderator – Sarah Pray - Coordinator - Publish What You Pay USA
Click here for the audio recording or download the file here.
Moderator – Lorenzo Cotula - Senior Researcher - Law and Sustainable Development, Natural Resources, IIED
Click here for the audio recording or download the file here (includes closing remarks).
Moderator – Carlos Monge - Regional Coordinator for Latin America, Revenue Watch Institute
When disaster-affected people have to move into crowded, makeshift camps, conditions can jeopardize public health. Outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like cholera can compound the original emergency with a health crisis. Oxfam specializes in providing clean water and sanitation facilities in emergencies, and we are moving quickly to meet these and other needs in the Ketsana-affected areas: along with clean water, we will distribute blankets, water containers, soap, cleaning equipment, clothes, and shelter materials.
Donate now to Oxfam America's Asia Pacific Emergency Relief Fund.
]]>Lyndsay Cruz, Press Officer
(562) 331-0698 (mobile)
lcruz@oxfamamerica.org
Inquiries from the general public should be directed to publicinfo@oxfamamerica.org.
]]>The mission recommended that the international community condemn the coup and demand Zelaya's return.
The mission calls on the international community not to accept elections organized by the de facto Micheletti government and to continue to suspend international budget aid. It also calls on the international community to maintain the suspension of diplomatic relations with the Micheletti administration, including suspending diplomatic visas and freezing foreign bank accounts.
All these measures are intended to force the de facto government to accept the negotiations coordinated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. Arias seeks a peaceful return to democracy that will begin with Zelaya's return to the country.
The members of the mission were able to confirm that human rights have been violated, as people were arrested without formal legal accusations. The people who have been detained include not only Hondurans, but also foreigners, especially Nicaraguans.
The mission also confirmed several cases of violations of freedom of speech and expression and has had conversations with journalists that were forced to stop their activities.
In order to continue monitoring the situation in Honduras, the mission has decided to create a Human Rights Observatory.
]]>“Mary Robinson has dedicated her working life in advocating for universal human rights. Oxfam could not have wished for a better honorary president than Mary. We have benefited from her vision and commitment in using human rights to frame today’s big debates on globalization, poverty, gender, security and development,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs. Mary Robinson has travelled with Oxfam to many countries, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, investigating the causes, effects and solutions to conflict and inequality and poverty. She has helped carry Oxfam’s torch at many major international events including at WTO ministerials and negotiations for an Arms Trade Treaty, and has lobbied tirelessly on women's rights.
As an international relief and development organization, Oxfam is particularly heartened to see anti-poverty and pro-human rights figures such as Mary Robinson recognized and honored. "In addition to the energy and influence that Mary has brought to Oxfam and promoting our work in tackling poverty around the world, she continues to work as a member of the prominent Elders Group, as well as leading her own “Realizing Rights” initiative. Among other positions, Mary is also president of the International Commission of Jurists," he said.
“Mary Robinson’s courageous even-handedness and sincerity in holding up the cause of human rights around the world is unquestionable. There is no-one more deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom than Mary Robinson,” Hobbs said.
Laura Rusu
Senior Press Officer
Washington, DC
Office: (202) 496-1169
info@oxfamamerica.org
De Echave's remarks came during a conference held by Oxfam America and the Revenue Watch Institute in Washington, DC titled "From Conflict to Consensus: Extractive Industry Transparency in Latin America." The conference included speakers from citizen organizations in Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, as well as the Peruvian Ambassador to the US Luis Valdivieso and Anwar Ravat, the World Bank’s manager of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative.
Patricia Diaz, Oxfam America's program officer in South America following the hydrocarbon industry, says conflicts erupt in Peru and other countries as “communities express frustration with what they perceive to be significant social and environmental costs associated with extractive industries, and only limited social benefits. These conflicts not only destabilize Peru but create a difficult operating environment for American and other companies.” She also said that conflicts flare up when mines and pipelines are set up without the free, prior, and informed consent of local people.
Oxfam America and Revenue Watch Institute are advocating for governments and companies to disclose payments made for oil, gas, and mining projects as a means to build trust and reduce conflicts. Citizens would be able to see how much money their government receives from companies, and if they are getting a fair share of revenue devoted to their communities. Diaz says this information would help avoid conflicts such as the one seen in the Tacna and Moquegua regions of Peru last year, when the government altered mining royalty payments, setting off protests by 20,000 people resulting in three deaths. “More information on the mining revenues that each region would be receiving could have helped to avert this conflict,” she said.
A few days after the Washington event, and after months of pressure from Oxfam America and others, the Inter-American Development Bank formally endorsed EITI. In the U.S. Congress, Diaz and others also held a briefing to urge action on proposed legislation to require extractive industry revenue disclosure. If enacted, the law would require companies subject to US Securities and Exchange Commission rules to disclose payments to governments. “Civil society in Peru would have a key tool for ensuring that these payments ultimately benefit the local communities most affected by mining and hydrocarbon projects,” Diaz said in Washington. “And US companies and consumers would benefit through better operating environments and steady access to the raw materials you depend on.”
Download all the presentations delivered at the conference here.
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