Since the day in 2005 when 50,000 people in two small communities largely unknown to the world spontaneously marched to a bridge to protest the installation of two giant paper pulp mills (by Botnia and ENCE), entirely of their own volition with no NGO encouragement of any kind, something very fundamental has changed in the way people at the local, national and even international level think about the environment and about development, particularly development finance.

Our organization, the Center for Human Rights and Environment (CHRE) became involved in this case after that historical march. Our involvement resulted partially from an invitation by the public authorities, partially from our own initiative, and finally, slowly, due to the relationship that we began to forge with a social movement which was very clear about what it wanted, and didn’t want in its own back yard.

Links to Documents, Complaints and Information About the Case

Complaints to The Compliance Advisory Ombudsman / World Bank
Specific Instance Complaints to the OECD
Complaints to Export Credit Agencies
Complaints to Private Banks
Legal Case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Legal Case before the International Court of Justice at the Hague
Access to Information
Advocacy Tool
Press Releases related to the case
The Actors