CooperAccion

CooperAcción is a reference point for the issues of mining versus the rights and environment of communities living in the sphere of influence of the mines. With great expertise, CooperAcción supports organizations and local governments with training, advice and actions to defend rights and the environment.

Cooperaccion combines several strategies:  

- Analysis of the mining sector and projects in Peru in many facets: impact assessment, government policies, employment, macroeconomic consequences, taxation, transparency, companies' agreements with governments and communities, environmental policies, compliance with environmental obligations, etc. 

- Supporting communities suffering from the impact of mining.

 - Monitoring of the concessions that the government grants to companies without consulting the communities - i.e. permits for exploration and/or exploitation of minerals). This is one of the biggest causes of conflict; the state is the formal owner of the 'subsoil' - and therefore of the minerals - and does not even inform the individuals or communities (who own the land or the surface) about the projects.

- Supporting communities in demanding the right to consultation. In some places (mainly in the north) communities do not want mining projects, because they know that this will only cause problems such as: problems with water supply, water quality, soil pollution, conflicts within communities, etc. In other zones (further south) communities are not against mining, but they do want good conditions for exploitation - no pollution, guarantee of water supply, employment, support for social investments in education and health care, etc.

- Assistance in consultations with local authorities and national government agencies, negotiations on conditions.

- Analysis of environmental impact assessment and development of proposals to improve environmental management. 

- Establish a monitoring system for the impact of mining on water resources, soil and air quality.

- Press conferences, campaigns, presentation of bills, lobbying in the capital, so that the issues and demands of the communities are placed on the agenda.

- Push for better spatial planning at national, regional and local levels.

CooperAcción also proposes alternatives to the current 'extractivist model'. Peru urgently needs to invest in other activities with less damaging impacts on ecosystems, especially now that the effects of climate change are being felt. 

An important tool of CooperAcción for campaigning and lobbying is the 'Observatorio de Conflictos Mineros', where information is collected and processed on ongoing eco-social conflicts. A comprehensive report is published twice a year, with recommendations for a coherent approach to the conflicts and the problem in general. In a country where 60% of social conflicts revolve around mining, the observatory proves to be invaluable.

Due to the continued expansion of mining, the challenges are piling up. In recent years, CooperAcción has been forced to scrutinize Chinese investments and to encourage Chinese mining companies to respect people and the environment. The organization has contributed to China accepting UN recommendations on extraterritorial obligations in March 2019. To this end, they provided cases of human rights violations by Chinese companies.  

Cooperacción’s expertise and contributions are highly valued at national and international levels. The organisation is part of international networks and initiatives on mining, transparency and alternatives, such as OCMAL and EITI.