Indigenous Peoples, Communities of African Descent, Extractive Industries

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) addresses in this report State obligations with regard to extraction, exploitation, and development activities concerning natural resources. Through the implementation of its monitoring mechanisms, the Commission has consistently received information evidencing the human, social, health, cultural and environmental impacts of these projects on indigenous peoples and Afrodescendent communities. Many extractive and development activities in the hemisphere are implemented in lands and territories historically occupied by indigenous and Afro-descendent communities, which often coincide with areas hosting a great wealth of natural resources. Moreover, the Commission has received information indicating that these projects and activities are still not properly supervised by host states and states of origin, the scarcity of mechanisms to prevent human rights violations, and the formidable barriers faced by victims, peoples, and communities to access justice when these human rights violations take place. These challenges, as well as the widespread implementation of these projects in the Americas, promoted the preparation of this report by the Commission.