Cerrejón reaches an initial agreement with the Provincial community and responds to an enquiry from United Nations Special Rapporteurs

Cerrejón and the Provincial Indigenous Reservation have reached an initial agreement that will establish mechanisms to comply further with ruling T-614 of the Constitutional Court and promote the development of this community in the coming years.

The agreement is the result of a proactive dialogue with most of the Traditional Authorities. It will promote a series of joint sustainability projects including initiatives to support livelihood development projects and the improvement of health services. It includes the construction and provision of a new health facility in Provincial and an environmental rehabilitation program which will focus on different areas of the Reservation and the planting of more than 248,000 trees, as well as the creation of a nursery that will produce 100,000 plants.

In line with the measures established by the Court, Cerrejón will implement a cleaning program of the community facilities and surrounding areas, over the next five years. Cerrejón has also committed to supporting the Provincial community in using expert advisory services, working too with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability Development, to reach a shared definition of an appropriate air quality standard.

“This agreement demonstrates Cerrejón’s real commitment to partnership with the communities of La Guajira. We are listening and will do everything possible to maintain a constructive and proactive dialogue with communities to develop projects – all built through consensus – which improve the quality of life. This is a new milestone in our long and growing relationship with community of Provincial”, says Luis Marulanda, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communication at Cerrejón.

Before the execution of this agreement, the Provincial community will discuss it through a plenary session, involving the traditional authorities of the Reservation and the individuals who presented the action to the Court.
Cerrejón response to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs

Cerrejón has responded to the concerns of UN Special Rapporteurs and provided detail to ensure they have a complete picture of Cerrejón’s performance and are responding directly to their concerns. The letter includes the following:

• Cerrejón operates in a responsible manner to manage our environmental and social impacts. We continually seek to improve our systems and processes. Our environmental management plan is closely monitored by national and regional environmental institutions.
• Throughout our operations, we comply with the applicable air quality standards for dust emission types PM10 and PM2.5. This includes our activities close to the Provincial community.

• We are implementing the measures included in ruling T-614 and adopting others that go beyond the legal requirements.
• We continuously monitor the water quality of the Ranchería River and its tributaries, the results of which show compliance with regulatory limits. This is as a result of our comprehensive water management system that takes the whole water basin into consideration.

“Cerrejon is committed to transparency and dialogue. We respect the role that individuals such as the UN Special Rapporteurs play in promoting a respect for human rights. Civil society organizations and multilateral institutions, including representatives of the United Nations, are welcome to visit our site and directly observe Cerrejón’s practices”, concluded Luis Marulanda.

The letter can be consulted on this link: https://www.cerrejon.com/index.php/cerrejons-response-to-the-09-09-un-request-regarding-the-indigenous-community-of-provincial/