The problem

Multinational mining companies Drummond, a U.S.-based company, and Prodeco/Glencore, a Swiss-based firm, which began extracting coal in Cesar at the height of the Colombian armed conflict, have yet to thoroughly examine or take responsibility for the adverse human rights impacts of their operations. Their customers, including European energy companies, have acknowledged these issues to varying degrees but have failed to act accordingly. Until recently, many were still sourcing “blood coal” from Cesar, and some continue to do so today, in spite of the ongoing transition away from coal. 

For whom

PAX is spearheading the Stop Blood Coal! campaign to empower victims of blood coal in Cesar to claim their rights to truth, justice, reparation, and security, enabling them to rebuild their lives and actively engage in peacebuilding efforts in the region and across Colombia. 

Our stance

PAX believes that companies must take every possible measure to avoid being directly linked to or contributing to armed conflict and must under no circumstances benefit from human rights abuses arising from such conflicts or other factors. In cases like coal mining in Cesar, where these violations have occurred and continue to occur, companies—including those downstream in the supply chain—must take responsibility and act swiftly. They should address and remediate the harm done to affected communities and implement measures to ensure that such violations do not recur. As an additional lever, PAX also welcomes the coming into force of binding legislation on corporate responsibility and due diligence obligations in supply chains. 

What did we achieve?

With the publication of “The Dark Side of Coal: Paramilitary Violence in the Mining Region of Cesar, Colombia” in June 2014 and the subsequent campaign, PAX initiated a public discussion in Colombia about companies’ responsibilities regarding their involvement in armed conflict. In Europe, PAX, together with its allies, contributed to the dialogue on corporate responsibility for human rights due diligence in supply chains through its “Stop Blood Coal!” campaign (2015-2019). On the ground, PAX empowered local civil society organizations by supporting farmer groups and unions, enabling them to more effectively express the concerns of thousands of victims of blood coal to governments and companies. The findings from PAX’s reports are corroborated by other institutions, including the Colombian Center for Historical Memory (CNMH) and the Truth Commission, which presented its final report in 2022. Thanks to PAX’s efforts, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia recently initiated an investigation into companies’ roles in the armed conflict, focusing on the mining region in Cesar. Currently, PAX supports the peasant organization Asamblea Campesina in their complaint against European energy companies at the NCP for OECD Guidelines in The Hague, and the trade union Sintramienergética in the Colombian prosecutor’s case against Drummond’s top executives. 

What should be done?

Since 2011, PAX has investigated the history of the conflict and the human rights situation of the civilian population in the Cesar mining region and published several reports. Based on this research, PAX, together with allied European NGOs, has campaigned to raise awareness among mining companies, European energy companies, and, to a lesser extent, also port and transport companies, local governments (for example, the Amsterdam city council), and financial institutions about their responsibilities toward the victims of armed conflict in Cesar, in line with international standards for responsible business conduct. PAX has supported the victims to strengthen their capacity to advocate for their demands. Together with the victims of Cesar’s “blood coal,” we urge companies in the coal supply chain to take responsibility for the negative human rights consequences. This includes recognizing the victims, acknowledging their own role in these events and in the supply chain, and contributing to remedies for the injustices to which they are linked or contributed to, that continue to impact the victims. 

Timeline

This timeline gives an overview of of the most important moments since 2010.