Financed by surpluses generated when international mineral prices rise above the state-set benchmark, the fund will not be used for short-term budgetary expenditure, but ring-fenced for long-term, strategic infrastructural and industrial projects.

Despite strong local opposition and environmental concerns, the EU has designated Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project in Serbia as strategically important

Protesters in Berlin condemned planned lithium mining in Serbia, accusing the German government and industry of hypocrisy and greenwashing in their support of the controversial Rio Tinto project

Tens of thousands rallied in Belgrade, marking the peak of month-long protests against the resumption of Rio Tinto’s Jadar Project

Mass protests erupted in over 40 locations in Serbia against planned lithium mining, while the EU appears to back Rio Tinto’s controversial project

In October, the Ghanaian government signed a lithium mining agreement with an Australian company and it has been widely rejected by broad sectors of society

The initiative, which placed the protection of the environment above the interests of the transnational companies, was celebrated by environmentalists and social organizations across the country

Environmental activists from the Guapinol village in northern Honduras had been arbitrarily detained since 2019 for protesting against a mining project

After five days of anti-mining protests across Argentina’s Chubut province, the provincial governor repealed the law that paved the way for mega-mining in the province, and gave the call for a plebiscite to decide on this matter

The government has decreed military control for 30 days in the El Estor municipality in response to protests against a mining project in the territory of the Mayan Q’eqchi’ community.

Most of the countries in central Asia have been reluctant to reimpose restrictions due to the economic fallout. This has led to a massive jump in the total number of new infections and deaths in late June and July

The report published by Global Witness, an NGO based in Washington DC, titled ‘Defending Tomorrow’ stated that over 212 “land defenders” were killed in 21 countries last year.