Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition submitted by students in my riding. Nearly 600 signatures were collected.
The mining industry is growing around the world. These students are concerned that human rights, rights and obligations imposed by Canadian mining companies, are not respected abroad. They are asking the government to urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations to develop an international mechanism for obtaining prior consent, freely given with full knowledge of the situation. Consent should be a prerequisite for all exploratory projects. The proposed process should include provisions to address complaints, offer recourse and provide compensation to victims.
These students are concerned about what will happen to displaced individuals and about the fact that these human rights are being ignored in some countries.