IIn October 2019, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a country report on Honduras. The report was based on a field visit to Honduras in 2018 to gather evidence on the human rights situation. The report documents a wide range of human rights violations and failures of public institutions to comply with internationalContinue reading “2019 IACHR issues report on the Situation of Human Rights in Honduras”
Subsoil Country Archives
1998-2013 Honduran Mining Laws [ASP1 and ASP2]
In 2013, the Honduran Government, led by President Porfirio Lobo Sosa of the National Party of Honduras (PNH), enacted a new General Mining Law (the “2013 Mining Law”). This law revoked the 1998 Mining Law and lifted a moratorium on new mining concessions. The drafting of the 2013 Mining Law involved input from experts assignedContinue reading “1998-2013 Honduran Mining Laws [ASP1 and ASP2]”
2019 National Protection System recognises the CMDBCP as a human rights organization
In August 2019, the National System for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders officially recognised in written correspondence DGSP234-2019 that the CMDBCP is an organization engaged in activities of the legtimate defence of human rights. As such, a key branch of the state human rights aparatus recognised the CMDBCP as human rights actors, enabling theContinue reading “2019 National Protection System recognises the CMDBCP as a human rights organization”
2006-2017 Constitutional Challenges to Honduran Mining Law [ASP1 and ASP2]
In 2006, a constitutional challenge was brought on behalf of 20 Honduran citizens, including representatives of the Honduran Association of Environmental and Agro-Forest Journalists (AHPAAF) and the Committee for the Defense and Development of the Gulf of Fonseca Plant and Wildlife, against the 1998 Mining Law. In 2006, the Court found that 13 of theContinue reading “2006-2017 Constitutional Challenges to Honduran Mining Law [ASP1 and ASP2]”
2019 Visit of the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises
In 2019 the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises visited Honduras to assess the State’s compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Working Group made a number of criticisms regarding the regulation of corporate activity and human rights impacts, particularlyContinue reading “2019 Visit of the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises”
2012-2013 Creation and reconfiguration of Montaña de Botaderos National Park
On 8 October 2012, the Honduran Congress passed a law (Legislative Decree 127-2012) creating the Montaña de Botaderos National Park to protect local biodiversity and ecosystems and as part of commitments to maintain the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (in 2017, the park was renamed Montaña de Botaderos Carlos Escaleras National Park, after a murdered environmental activist).Continue reading “2012-2013 Creation and reconfiguration of Montaña de Botaderos National Park”
2021 UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinion on detained CMDBCP environmental defenders
In March 2021, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued Opinion 85/2020 declaring the eight Guapinol environmental defenders to be arbitrarily detained according to international human rights law which Honduras is legally bound to adhere to. The Working Group called on the Government of Honduras to remedy the situation by immediately releasing theContinue reading “2021 UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinion on detained CMDBCP environmental defenders”
2019 Constitutional challenge to decree modifying Montaña de Botaderos National Park
On 25 February 2019, members of Municipal Committee in Defence of Common and Public Goods (CMDBCP) and the San Alonso Rodríguez Foundation, and accompanied by the Coalition Against Impunity, filed a constitutional challenge or judicial review (recurso de inconstitucionalidad) of Decree 252-2013 which had reduced the dimensions of the Core Zones of Montaña de BotaderosContinue reading “2019 Constitutional challenge to decree modifying Montaña de Botaderos National Park”
2021 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report to the Human Rights Council on Honduras
On Feburary 2021 the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provided a country report to the High Commissioner included in the annual report to the Human Rights Council. The report raised a series of human rights concerns, including the misuse of the judicial system in the Guapinol case in order to unfairlyContinue reading “2021 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report to the Human Rights Council on Honduras”
2007- Municipalities Declare Territories Free of Mining [ASP1 and ASP2]
Between 2013 and 2015, approximately 20 municipalities across Honduras declared themselves “territories free of mining” by holding public referenda or consultative assemblies (cabildos abiertos) in which communities voted on whether to allow mining operations where they lived. These municipalities included, among others, Sabá and Balfate in Colón; Danlí and Teupasenti in El Paraíso; El Negrito,Continue reading “2007- Municipalities Declare Territories Free of Mining [ASP1 and ASP2]”
