2010 Ethics Tribunal on Border Mining [Cerro Blanco]

In November 2010, the first annual Ethics Tribunal was convened on the topic of Border Mining in Latin America. The Tribunal was held in Santiago, Chile, with a panel of judges drawn from leading individuals in the areas of human rights, trade unions, pastoral work, environmental defense, and indigenous rights. Organizers, including the Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts in Chile (OLCA), solicited complaints from institutions and communities interested in participating in the proceedings. Cerro Blanco was one of four border mining projects considered by the panel, which found, among other things, a lack of dialogue by companies and greater interest in private property and economic interests over common goods and environmental protection. The panel recommended, among other things, that affected communities prevent, through peaceful means, the approval of new laws that compromise their current and future well-being, including through alliances with civil society and pressuring competent authorities.

The topics examined by the Ethics Tribunal vary from year to year. At the time of writing (September 2018), the most recent session was held in November 2017 on the topic of human trafficking.