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2006-2013 Moratorium on Mining Concessions

A moratorium on new mining concessions was originally proposed in 2004 by the Minister of Natural Resources. According to the Honduras Accompaniment Project (PROAH), this proposal was based on the following two factors: (1) the Siria Valley Environmental Committee (CAVS) and the Civic Alliance for Mining Law Reform demonstrated to the Executive Directorate for the Promotion of Mining (DEFOMIN) that it was granting concessions to Goldcorp Inc. without complying with legislative procedures; and (2) the National March for Life demanded the cancellation of all mining and timber concessions (PROAH, 2013). The official moratorium was established by Presidential Decree, issued by President Manuel Zelaya (Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH)) in February 2006 (Decreto de Suspención de la Mineria Metalica, PCM-09-2006). The preamble of the decree cites the need to revise existing legislation in accordance with the state’s obligation to protect the environment and ensure sustainable exploitation of natural resources. It prohibits the Secretary of State in the Offices of Natural Resources and the Environment from granting metallic mining concessions for a period of one year or until reforms to the existing mining legislation are approved by the National Congress. The moratorium was ultimately lifted by the enactment of a new General Mining Law in 2013 (see the Legal Action entitled “1998-2013 Honduran Mining Laws”, for more detail).

 

Type of Action / Tipo de Acción:
Executive Orders and Actions
Legal Description / Descripción Legal:
Decree of Suspension of Metallic Mining (PCM-09-2006), published in the Official Gazette No. 30, 928 on 14 February 2006
Extractive Project / Proyecto extractivo:
Region / Región:
Central America
Country / País:
Honduras
Natural Resource / Recurso natural:
Gold
Jurisdiction / Jurisdicción:
Honduran System
Category of Key Actors in Legal Action / Categoría de actores claves en la Acción Legal:
Grassroots Movements, Politicians and/or Political Parties
Key Legal Actors Involved / Actores jurídicos clave involucrados:
Civic Alliance for Mining Law Reform, Siria Valley Environmental Committee (CAVS), President Manuel Zelaya
Legal Artefact / Artefactos Legales
Year Action Started / Año de inicio:
2006
Year Action Ended / Año de finalización:
2013
References / Referencias:

Decree of Suspension of Metallic Mining (PCM-09-2006), published in the Official Gazette No. 30, 928 on 14 February 2006.

Honduras Accompaniment Project (PROAH), “Proyecto de minería en La Nueva Esperanza: Escalada alarmante de intimidaciones dirigidas a la comunidad”, dated 20 June 2013, online: https://proah.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/proyecto-de-mineria-en-la-nueva-esperanza-escalada-alarmante-de-intimidaciones-dirigidas-a-la-comunidad/, accessed 10 December 2021.