{"id":14369,"date":"2025-10-07T14:36:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T13:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reri.org.rs\/un-experts-express-concerns-over-serbia-copper-mining\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T08:39:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T07:39:39","slug":"un-experts-express-concerns-over-serbia-copper-mining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reri.org.rs\/en\/un-experts-express-concerns-over-serbia-copper-mining\/","title":{"rendered":"UN experts express concerns over Serbia copper mining"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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UN Special Rapporteurs are seeking answers from Serbian and Chinese authorities, as well as Zijin Mining Group and Serbia Zijin Copper on allegations of high pollution levels from a mining operation in the Bor region of eastern Serbia. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In a letter<\/span> published today<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights Dr. Marcos A. Orellana and UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Pr. Nicolas Levrat express serious concerns over alleged pollution levels in the Bor region, which has been described as a \u201csacrifice zone\u201d where vulnerable groups face disproportionate health and environmental harms.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The letter highlights concerns regarding alleged environmental pollution, including the presence of heavy metals and other hazardous substances in water, air, and soil, as well as excessive noise levels, causing health problems for surrounding residents. It also highlights damage to local agriculture, expropriation and displacement of communities, and a lack of adequate response from government institutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cAn international response is more critical than ever\u201c says Hristina Vojvodi\u0107, senior legal advisor at Serbian environmental organisation <\/span>RERI<\/span><\/a><\/span> which works with the affected communities,\u201d adding that \u201cit not only affirms the legitimacy of the community\u2019s ongoing struggle but also sends a strong message to both state and corporate actors that environmental and human rights violations are under international scrutiny and must be urgently addressed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The letter was sent on August 8 to the Serbian and Chinese governments, as well as Zijin Mining Group and Serbia Zijin Copper, a subsidiary of China\u2019s Zijin Mining Group, who were given 60 days to respond before it was made public. There was no response from any of the recipients of the letter.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Previously, residents of the villages Krivelj and Slatina in the Bor region, together with the <\/span>Association of Young Researchers Bor<\/span><\/a><\/span>,\u00a0 <\/span>RERI<\/span><\/a><\/span> and <\/span>FIAN International<\/span><\/a><\/span> submitted a communication to the <\/span>UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights<\/span><\/a><\/span>, raising concerns over severe environmental pollution and human rights violations in the Bor region.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The release of the letter coincides with the <\/span>first official country visit of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights to Serbia<\/span><\/a><\/span>, with an aim \u201cto identify, prevent and address adverse impacts of business activities on people and the environment, including in the context of mining (\u2026)\u201d. Bor is one of the areas the Working Group will be visiting. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Explaining his decision<\/span><\/span><\/a> to seek help from the United Nations, resident of Krivelj village Milan \u0106osi\u0107 emphasized that <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>our own country has failed to protect us<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/i> The residents, he added, are not asking for privileges, only <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>the right to a normal and dignified life, just like all other citizens<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The UN Special Rapporteurs have called on the\u00a0 Serbian government to clarify whether social and environmental impact assessments were conducted for the activities of Serbia Zijin Copper and Serbia Zijin Mining, and to share their results. They also asked for information on measures taken to prevent and remedy human rights impacts, including issues of displacement, access to resources, and exposure to hazardous substances, as well as details on grievance mechanisms for affected communities and steps taken to protect the local Wallachian minority.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The rapporteurs emphasized that the situation \u201crequires a human rights-based approach, including strong preventive measures and effective accountability mechanisms, and the provision of adequate compensation and rehabilitation for affected communities.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cThe situation in Krivelj is a stark reminder that environmental destruction is a human rights crisis. It shows how unchecked extractive industries can devastate entire communities \u2013 poisoning land and water, displacing families, and eroding cultural identity\u201d, says Ana Maria Suarez-Franco, Secretary General of FIAN International.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cThe UN experts\u2019 letter is an important step toward accountability for the human rights violations by corporations toward ensuring that affected communities, particularly the Wallachian minority, can live in dignity, safety, and a healthy environment.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Families in the Bor region now live under the permanent threat of demolition, deprived of safety, stability, and dignity, as mining operations advance relentlessly toward their homes. For rural residents, forced relocation is not merely the loss of property, it is the uprooting of their entire lives, and the erasure of their heritage, memory, and sense of belonging.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Letter to Serbia is available <\/span>here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Letter to China is available <\/span>here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Letter to Serbia Zijin Copper is available <\/span>here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Letter to Zijin Mining Group is available <\/span>here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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