Canada is home to over 75% of the world's mining corporations: A thread on the Canadian state's controversial role in promoting corporate abuse & exploitative mining operations abroad

Why is there more legal legitimacy related to the economy than human rights abuses? (1/15)

Canada is commonly known for its diplomacy. Yet not many know as a global mining leader, w/ over 800 Canadian companies operating in 100+ countries, Canadian state/private interests actively advance widespread abuse of people and resources with little to no impunity (2/15)

Canadian mining is directly &/or indirectly involved in environmental devastation, human rights abuse, forced displacement, systematic rape, slavery, extrajudicial killings, war, billions in tax evasion, livelihood destruction, child soldier recruitment, climate change... (3/15)

Toronto Stock Market (TSX) is the world’s biggest listing venue for mining companies, with almost 50 percent of global listings. This means Canadian policies on dealing with environmental and human rights abuses abroad are critical for regulating the sector internationally (4/15)

Despite ongoing corporate negligence, Canada is a strong judicial and financial haven, protecting the mining industry from its abuses abroad through permissive domestic regulatory structures and voluntary mechanisms of accountability rather than binding legal remedies (5/15)

Yet when host governments want to create stronger regulations to protect their natural resources from mining, affected corporations and foreign investors can sue (often low income) governments for millions, sometimes billions through investor-state dispute settlements. (6/15)

Canada advances mining interests through narratives of enhancing "development"/ economic prosperity in the Global South by providing billions in total loans and investment to support Canadian mining in host countries through agencies like Export Development Canada & CIDA (7/15)

Canadian public funds such as Canada Pension Fund, RRSPs, mutual funds, and savings are sent and invested in the Toronto Stock Exchange where large portions go to the mining industry-- Canadians are unknowingly financing corporate negligence https://halifaxinitiative.org/sites/default/files/DirtyPractices.pdf (8/15)

UN experts state Governments possess power to regulate & sanction individuals and entities abusing human rights, concluding, “Governments with jurisdiction over these enterprises are complicit themselves when they do not take remedial measures” https://reliefweb.int/report/burundi/plundering-dr-congo-natural-resources-final-report-panel-experts-s20021146 (9/15)

When speaking out about mining injustice, corporations have used Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), to intimidate and silence critics w/ lawsuits & heavy financial burdens, hoping criticism & opposition will be abandoned E.g. https://congojustice.org/alain-deneault/  (10/15)

Even as egregious as the corporate abuse, we rely heavily on minerals to create the instruments and infrastructure we use daily. We are not powerless, what can WE do?!

1. We need to raise awareness of the powerful role Canada plays within the global mining industry (11/15)

2. Lobby the Canadian state for an ombudsperson with judicial power and strong binding regulatory mechanisms such as mandatory human rights due diligence, a growing worldwide movement currently being adopted by France and the EU https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/big-issues/mandatory-due-diligence/ (12/15)

3. We need a public beneficial ownership transparency registry so that corporations disclose the identity of owners & expose white-collar crime in mining e.g money laundering, tax evasion. The US adopted, “The Corporate Transparency Act of 2019” https://www.pwyp.ca/resources/tag/Beneficial+Ownership (13/15)

4. Speak up, share this post, mobilize action, raise awareness, fundraise for affected local communities, join advocacy groups, campaign, support critical NGO’s within this field (eg. @MiningWatch @PwypCanada @AboveGroundNGO @StopCorpAbuse @mininginjustice @GLAN_LAW) (14/15)

5. Stop the myopic narrative that abuses are due to the weak governance of *insert Global South nation here* & centre the conversation on Canada’s role in perpetuating neocolonial oppression and abuse abroad through financial and legal power (Read Catherine Coumans, 2019) (15/15)

Want to learn more?
- Read Imperial Canada Inc. by Alain Deneault & William Sacher
- Subscribe to https://miningwatch.ca/ 
- Msg me for more info-- We need people power to amplify community agency and push for accountability now more than ever!