These letters represent an exchange between MiningWatch Canada and RAID-UK and Acacia Mining plc. detailing ongoing concerns with regard to access to remedy and the operational-level grievance mechanism for victims of excess use of force by private and public mine security at the North Mara Gold Mine Ltd. in North Mara, Tanzania.

On July 12, 2017, MiningWatch started to receive information from partner organizations in Porgera that a corrosive substance had been disposed of by the Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) mine causing burns to numerous villagers who came into contact with the substance. We wrote to Barrick Gold to get their explanation and to find out what efforts had been made to support the affected individuals.

Here is our letter, and Barrick's response.

(Fredericton-Ottawa-Vancouver) Indigenous communities and advocacy groups are disappointed and concerned about the outcomes of Canada’s 2017 Energy & Mines Ministers Conference, which ended last week in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

The federal Liberals came to power with a promise to restore and strengthen Canada's environmental laws. In June, 2016, the government began a sweeping review of key environmental laws and asked concerned individuals, communities, and organizations to contribute.

Leaders opposed to proposed Sisson Brook Mine

By Matthew Bingley, CBC News Posted: Aug 14, 2017 8:20 AM AT Last Updated: Aug 14, 2017 8:20 AM AT

St. Andrews (N.B.) As Energy & Mines Ministers from across Canada meet today under the theme of ‘Clean Growth’ for their annual conference in St-Andrews, New Brunswick, a delegation of regional and national Indigenous and advocacy groups, backed up by a 40,000-strong petition, are urging the ministers to do much more to protect the environment and communities affected by mining in Canada.

Unless the Trudeau government takes a sharp turn from its current course, it’s starting to look as if fixing Canada’s environmental assessment law is going to be added to the growing list of bold commitments that it won’t deliver on. At the end of June, the federal government released a discussion paper outlining its plans. They amount to little more than tinkering with the Harper government’s devastating 2012 re-write of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Here's a set of key recommendations from various industry experts, practioners and analysts that believe catostrophic failures of mining waste facilities can be avoided if regulators take the following actions (NOT EXHAUSTIVE - additional comments welcome):

Governance:

(Fredericton/Ottawa/Vancouver) A delegation of regional and national Indigenous communities and advocacy groups will be attending the annual Canadian Energy & Mines Ministers Conference on August 13-16 in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick.

(Kamloops) This United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples marks the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). UNDRIP was seen as a major milestone with respect to the cooperation and solidarity between indigenous peoples and Member States.