14th Local Rights of Nature Tribunal

Case of Dundee Precious Metal Gold Mining in Serbia

Located in the mountainous region of eastern Serbia, Homolje is one of Europe’s few remaining wilderness areas and one of the top biodiversity hotspots on the continent. There are more than 140 protected and highly protected species, of which 57 under the Bern Convention alone, including the highly endangered Eurasian lynx and golden eagle. As a part of the Carpathian Mountains, it is renowned for its pristine beauty, abundant wildlife, and crystal-clear waters.

 

In December 2021, the Canadian company Dundee Precious Metals announced their plans to open a gold mine in Homolje using surface extraction techniques involving potentially cyanide (this option is still being explored) (SaveHomolje).

 

Violations of the Rights of Nature are on the rise, as well as threats to the local communities, and defenders raising their voices against them. Serbia has been the stage for a grow of the non-mining movements, giving space to large-scale protests and contestation actions.

Mining this region would entail considerable environmental and social impacts. Mining comes with deforestation, pollution of waters and soils, noise turbulence, destruction of natural habitats, and more. Currently this case is being brought in front of the protection mechanisms of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

Tribunal Judges
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Experts and Witnesses

Background

International Rights of Nature Tribunal

Resources and websites

    • Responses to a joint letter by the Special Rapporteur on human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), the Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on the Implications for Human Rights of the Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Hazardous Substances and Waste, regarding the information they received on the alleged arbitrary detention of four environmental activists in the Municipality of Majdanpek https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=37594
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International Rights of Nature Tribunal

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The Tribunal is an ethical platform of civil society that acts in a subsidiary manner to States to review cases and judge them through the lens of the rights of Nature. The Tribunal has judges recognized for their impeccable ethical and moral trajectory, which makes their verdicts heard and respected by civil society.

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