Mining in Uganda
Mining and human rights
Mining and Human Rights.
Background:
In the earlier days dating back to 3000 BCE, Ancient Egyptians mined Copper through slow and dangerous methodologies. As civilization and time went by, society has developed safer and more accurate methods of locating and uncovering substances found on the earth. Mining in recent times is highly mechanized with specialized technical equipment uncovering minerals underneath the earth's crust. Minerals mined include gold, coal, crude oil, and iron ore among others. In Africa, South Africa has the most developed mining sector in the continent, and other countries with tracked mining history include Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and the United States of America.
Mining is “the process of extracting useful materials from the earth. Examples of substances mined include coal, gold, or iron ore.” Meanwhile, Human rights refer to “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, political affiliation, or any other status.”
Globally, the mining sector contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of countries involved in the mining sector despite existing Human Rights abuses cited in some of these mining areas. It's estimated that mineral earnings worldwide total to at least $500 billion. The human rights issues arising from most of the mineral areas are low wages, exploitation of workers, poor working conditions, lack of medical support, and hiring Minors/Children to work in mining activities, among others. Examples of countries with mining challenges and unfavorable working conditions include South Africa, DR. Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, and other African countries.
Human Rights.
Relatedly, Human Rights abuse is common in these mining sectors especially in Asia and Africa. For instance, children are forced to participate in mining activities under unfavorable circumstances that lead to the abuse of their rights. In Uganda for example, Stone Quarrying, gold mines, and sand mines among others are filled up with underage children between 8-15 years loading gravel and sand onto transporting lorries and vehicles to find a source of livelihood. This not only happens in Uganda but in many parts of Africa.
As a result of mining, children are denied the right to education, healthy living, and freedom of expression among others that are fundamental to their cognitive development, hence negatively contributing to their success in the efforts they put into education. In Uganda for instance, the government through the parliament of Uganda has enacted laws that protect the rights of children like the Children's Amendment Act of 2016 as a legal framework to protect children. Also, the Mining Act Amended 2021 provides for procedures on undertaking mining of all minerals in Uganda. However, the greatest challenge in implementing this law is the inadequate funding for law enforcement and corruption tendencies that hinder the successful implementation of these laws.
Additionally, these children while at mining centers are exposed to toxic and polluted environments that in the long run affect their lives and cause health complications at a later stage in life. These among others include carrying heavy-weight quantities of mineral extracts, working long hours on empty stomachs, and inhaling toxic fumes/dust used during the extraction of minerals.
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights
https://www.generalkinematics.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-mining-and-the-advancement-of-mining-technology/
| Title | Child Labour in Gold Mining: A Study of Bugiri and Moroto Districts of Uganda |
| Author | Platform for Labour Action (Uganda) |
| Publisher | Platform for Labour Action, 2018 |
| Length | 44 pages
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Child_Labour_in_Gold_Mining.html?id=Pq7BxQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y |
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