Human Rights Papers
Public Access to Information in the Oil and Gas Development Process
by Linda McKay-Panos. 2007
118 pp. Human Rights Paper #6. $20.00 (softcover)
This paper examines access to environmental and related information in the oil and gas development process in Alberta. In addition to the practical application of pertinent access to information legislation, the paper also looks at whether there is a right of access to environmental information why it would be advantageous to have this right.
The Potential Application of Human Rights Law to Oil and Gas Development in Alberta: A Synopsis
by Nickie Vlavianos. 2006
70 pp. Human Rights Paper #5. $20.00 (softcover)
This paper summarizes much of the work undertaken as part of the Human Rights and Resource Development Project from 2001 to the end of July 2006. It is the fifth publication to come from this project, the purpose of which is to explore the relationship between two important areas of law: human rights, as they are protected by law in Alberta, and the legal regime pursuant to which oil and gas resources are developed in the Province. The paper focuses on two actual or potential impacts from oil land gas development, those affecting human health and those affecting one's culture or way of life. In light of these impacts, it asks whether human rights law has anything to say about the way oil and gas is developed in Alberta. The paper considers the mineral rights disposition stage, the environmental assessment process, as well as a number of issues regarding the approval process (including the powers of Alberta's Energy and Utilities Board, and the test for standing for a hearing before that Board).
Protecting Environmental and Health Rights in Africa: Mechanisms for Enforcement
by Ibironke Odumosu. 2006
78 pp. Human Rights Paper #4. $20.00 (softcover)
This paper is the fourth publication to come from the Human Rights and Resource Development Project. The latter half of the twentieth century witnessed significant international activity on human rights issues. A considerable number of the human rights abuses in Africa and elsewhere, that garnered international attention, implicated natural resource exploitation carried out by large multinational corporations, sometimes in conjunction with State entities. This paper, the fourth publication to come from the Human Rights and Resource Development Project, engages in African human rights discourse with particular reference to the mechanisms for protecting and enforcing environmental and health rights. Some of the major themes that run through the paper include the liability of multinational corporations (if any), for human rights violations in Africa, and the incorporation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights into domestic law. The paper concludes that on a regional level, Africa has some legal instruments capable of addressing the human rights challenges facing the continent, but requires the establishment of enforcement institutions with the capacity to implement these laws.
Albertans' Concerns about Health Impacts and Oil and Gas Development: A Summary
by Nickie Vlavianos, 2006
16 pp. Human Rights Paper #3. $10.00 (softcover)
This paper is the third publication to come from the Human Rights and Resource Development Project, the purpose of which is to explore the relationship between two important areas of law: human rights, as they are protected by law in Alberta, and the legal regime pursuant to which natural resources, such as oil and gas, are developed in the Province.
How Human Rights Laws Work in Alberta and Canada
by Linda MacKay-Panos, 2005
48 pp. Human Rights Paper #2. $15.00 (softcover)
This paper provides a summary of provincial, federal and international human rights law applicable to Albertans and Canadians. It sets out the basic procedures for obtaining remedies under these laws.
Health, Human Rights and Resource Development in Alberta: Current and Emerging Law
by Nickie Vlavianos, 2003
35 pp. Human Rights Paper #1. $15.00 (softcover)
This paper is the first publication to come from the Human Rights and Resource Development Project, the purpose of which is to explore the relationship between two important areas of law: human rights, as they are protected by law in Alberta, and the legal regime, pursuant to which natural resources, such as oil and gas, are developed in the Province. The two non-profit organizations which have undertaken this Project - the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre and the Canadian Institute of Resources Law - are dedicated to legal research, publication and education. Thus, we do not take positions regarding the factual controversies, which lie behind some of the conflicts over resource development in Alberta. Nevertheless, our work on the Project proceeds from the assumption that those controversies are serious enough, that it is crucial for the relevant law on these matters to be as clearly articulated and as widely understood as possible.