The Economist is reporting on a Canadian government initiative to promote the interests of its mining companies abroad if they will agree to take part in a dispute resolution process with local communities. It’s not clear what this process would look like; we would urge community involvement in creating the process.

But it’s clear that, in the reputation-management department, the government has a tough road ahead. In addition to ERI’s own release about Barrick, I compiled the following list of Canadian mining companies involved in abusive and/or polluting projects around the world – off the top of my head:

·  NevSun Resources, sued just last week for alleged slave labor in Eritrea

·  Goldcorp, allegedly involved in abuses against local indigenous groups and pollution in Guatemala

·  Glamis Gold, which sued the US government over California and federal environmental regulations (and lost) (now part of Goldcorp)

·  Anvil mining, sued (unsuccessfully) in Canada over alleged involvement in a massacre in the DR Congo

·  Tahoe Resources, sued in Canada over its security forces’ shooting of seven protestors, and whose license was suspended in Guatemala after a lawsuit there

·  Pacific Rim mining, which has sued El Salvador over that country’s refusal to grant environmental permits

·  HudBay Minerals, sued in Canada over alleged involvement by its security guards in gang rapes and a killing in Guatemala

There’s a reason that’s there’s an entire organization devoted to monitoring the actions of Canadian mining companies – our fantastic partner, MiningWatch Canada – and that the Inter-American Human Rights Commission recently devoted a hearing to the same topic. It’s not a pretty record. Let’s hope the new government initiative, along with efforts for legal accountability, can start to turn this around.