We have the honour to address you in our capacities as Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and Special Rapporteur on minority issues, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 54/10 and 52/5.

In this connection, we would like to bring to the attention of your Excellency’s Government information we have received concerning the allegations of severe environmental contamination and human rights violations in the village of Krivelj, Bor district, Serbia, resulting from the mining activities of Serbia Zijin Copper DOO.

According to the information received:

...The pollution has had a significant impact on the local ecosystem, particularly through the contamination of water sources such as the Krivelj, Borska, and Brestovačka rivers, affecting drinking water supplies, livestock, and agriculture. Moreover, tensions over access to water are growing as mining operations increasingly draw from local supplies, reducing the availability of clean water for nearby communities.

Around 60% of the inhabitants of the village of Krivelj, in the Bor district, are from the Vlach community. The village is located near the Veliki Krivelj and Cerovo copper mines.

The Vlach communities, present in significant numbers in the region, bear a disproportionate burden of these adverse impacts. The Borska River, found in the immediate vicinity of the mining and smelting complex for the exploitation of copper ore, is one of the most heavily polluted watercourses in Serbia. The Borska river runs through Slatina which is also the home to the Vlach community. The Kriveljska river is a tributary to the Borska river, runs through the Krivelj. The village of Oštrelj, also home to the Vlach community, is also affected...

Environmental degradation and the pollution of the Kriveljska and Borska rivers, which run through and near the village, has further exacerbated the situation. These environmental harms disproportionately affect the Vlach minority, raising concerns of environmental injustice and discrimination. In addition, the alteration of river courses for mining purposes has also threatened the physical safety of the village and its surrounding areas...