On July 28, a group of civil society organizations – including the Defenders in Development campaign – urged the European Investment Bank (EIB) not to provide any support to the Reko Diq mining project in Balochistan (Pakistan), either directly or indirectly (e.g. through financing of associated infrastructure), given the serious concerns around human rights, conflict, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and environmental harm.
Recently, Pakistani media outlets reported that the EIB is considering investing in the project despite repeated warnings from local and international civil society groups about the associated risks. Located in an intensely militarised region, where civic space is very closed and where reprisals against civil society actors have increased in recent months, the Reko Diq mine risks exacerbating the insecurity of human rights defenders and contributing to environmental and social destruction.
You can read more about Reko Diq and how to join the #RethinkRekoDiq campaign here.
On April 2 of this year, Barrick Mining Corporation – the parent company of the project developer, Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC) – disclosed that they are slowing down activity and reviewing security risks around the Reko Diq project in Balochistan, until mid-2027.
It is clear, given the current situation in Balochistan, that it would be impossible for development banks, including the EIB, to uphold the safeguards they have adopted to mitigate environmental and social risks, and their policies against reprisals and investing in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, if they proceed with their financing of RDMC. These investments would also undermine the commitments made by EIB’s shareholders to support sustainable development, responsible business practice, and climate action and not to support investments listed on the EIB Group excluded activities, specifically “extraction or mining of conflict minerals and metals”.
While copper is considered to be a critical mineral for the energy transition, extraction projects must also respect human and environmental rights. In 2024, an expert panel convened by the UN Secretary General recommended that “human rights must be at the core of all mineral value chains” and that multilateral co-operation in this sector must promote peace and security. Unfortunately, the project proposed by RDMC does not meet these standards.
Letter to the European Investment Bank