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e-3256 (Business and trade)

E-petition
Initiated by vicky husband from Victoria, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The Vancouver-based company, ReconAfrica, is engaging in oil and gas exploration and potential hydraulic fracturing in the protected Kavango Basin region of Namibia and Botswana;
  • The Kavango Basin region is a biodiversity hotspot with conservation areas and parks, wildlife reserves, the Okavango Deltat and the Tsodilo Hills, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites;
  • The ReconAfrica project poses threats to the human rights of the indigenous San people of southern Africa and local Namibian and Botswana citizens;
  • Local people have reported respiratory problems such as asthma, sinusitis and other conditions after years of inhaling dust from nearby mining activity; and
  • By failing to act, Canada will undermine various international commitments signed for the purposes of protecting the Okavango Delta and the local inhabitants of the region.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Investigate the complaints coming from concerned Namibians, Botswana citizens, environmentalists, global citizens, and the San people of southern Africa regarding ReconAfrica’s project in the Kavango Basin region;
2. Adequately fund and equip the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) to properly conduct this investigation and respond to these types of complaints;
3. Ensure that CORE reports on their findings, recommends the appropriate remedy for abuses and monitor their implementation; and
4. Provide a response that clearly explains how the Kavango basin region and the people of Botswana and Namibia will be protected and respected by Canadian companies operating in the region.
Open for signature
March 12, 2021, at 4:11 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
May 11, 2021, at 4:11 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
June 3, 2021 (Petition No. 432-01037)
Photo - Elizabeth May
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia