“Economic development should not be at the expense of human rights – UN expert group reminds Brazil”, 16 December 2015
...The United Nations Working Group on business and human rights...encouraged Brazil to make greater efforts to pursue economic development in a way that respects human rights, at the end of...[the]...visit...to the country. “Brazil needs to find a better balance between economic interest and the protection of human rights in its pursuit of economic growth,” said...Pavel Sulyandziga, one of the members of the Group’s delegation who travelled to Brazil. “The country must move away from a top-down approach, where large-scale development projects are planned and implemented without meaningful consultation with affected communities including indigenous peoples,” Mr. Sulyandziga added. Six weeks after the Fundão tailing dam ruptured, causing one of Brazil’s worst ever environmental disasters with serious social impacts, the Working Group learned that a number of other dams are vulnerable to collapse, that proposed revisions to the country’s Mining Code threaten further ecological and social harm, and that human rights defenders and indigenous peoples face ongoing threats to their lives and land. The experts met with State and business representatives from large-scale development and construction projects, and they spoke with affected communities who reported significant corporate-related abuse and a lack of consultation. They...talked with State authorities and noted the role of public prosecutors in defending the rights of affected communities...“We need to see the Government, State Owned Enterprises, businesses, and industry associations stepping up implementation of the Guiding Principles,” Mr. Pesce said...
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