Jamaica Environment Trust applauds the IACHR's ruling in favour of the residents living in St Ann bauxite mining communities

On November 24, 2022, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a ruling that mandates the Jamaican government take action to address the effects of bauxite mining on the health of people of particular St Ann villages. The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) applauds this decision.

The non-profit, non-governmental membership organization based in the Kingston and St. Andrew area, the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), was established in 1991 by a group of citizens concerned about the state of Jamaica's natural environment.

Among other things, the human rights non-profit organization Freedom Imaginaries alleged that exposure to bauxite dust had severe and detrimental consequences on the overall health, documented medical conditions, and illnesses of the people in their appeal for preventative measures. Communities like Barnstaple, Bryan Castle, Caledonia, Endeavour, Gibraltar, Madras, and Somerton are among those that are impacted.

With regard to "individualised Afro-descendant persons from peasant communities of St Ann, after considering that they are in a serious and urgent situation that poses a risk of irreparable harm to their rights in Jamaica," the IACHR issued a resolution in which it granted preventative measures in their favour.

According to it, the Jamaican government should carry out the required medical diagnosis to establish the appropriate medical care, guarantee adequate, prompt, and specialized medical care in accordance with the medical conditions, and ensure access to water that is free from contaminants.

Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, the CEO of JET, said, “This has been a long-standing problem, and it is unfortunate that an international organisation has had to request the Government of Jamaica to respect rights granted under its constitution”.

“It is unconscionable that the government has put the country's economics over the health and welfare of its citizens."

The administration has 20 days starting on November 24 to tell the Commission that it has adopted the chosen preventive measures and to update such information regularly.