On July 28, a group of civil society organisations – including Counter Balance – urged the European Investment Bank (EIB) not to provide any support to the Reko Diq mining project in Balochistan (Pakistan), either directly or indirectly (e.g. through financing of associated infrastructure), given the serious concerns around human rights, conflict, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and environmental harm.
Recently, Pakistani media outlets reported that the EIB is considering investing in the project despite repeated warnings from local and international civil society groups about the associated risks. Located in an intensely militarised region, where civic space is very closed and where reprisals against civil society actors have increased in recent months, the Reko Diq mine risks exacerbating the insecurity of human rights defenders and contributing to environmental and social destruction.
You can read more about Reko Diq and how to join the #RethinkRekoDiq campaign here.
