Orinoco Mining Arc: decree, state gold business and measured harm
- River-based mining in the Arc took more than 1,800 hectares of my forest between 2017 and 2020, according to MAAP. MAAP / Amazon Conservation
- In 2011 sampling on my Caura River, 92% of 152 hair samples from women in five communities exceeded the WHO reference of 2 mg/kg; piscivorous fish carried up to 1.80 mg/kg in a 2010 study. Fundación La Salle / WCS / Universidad de Oriente
- OHCHR reported in 2020 that high levels of mercury had been detected in Indigenous communities living downstream of mines on my rivers. UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Since April 2020 six of my rivers, five of them major Orinoco tributaries, have been open to dredge mining by ministerial resolution, according to the UN Fact-Finding Mission. UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- Over 140,000 hectares of my forest were lost.Primary forest loss in the Venezuelan Amazon in the four years to 2020 (University of Maryland data, MAAP #155).
- Over 1,800 hectares of my forest were lost.River-based mining in the Arc, 2017–2020 (MAAP #155).
- Government and regulators Decree 2.248 (as summarised by OHCHR): Stated objectives include mining regulated under principles of sustainability and respect for Indigenous peoples. UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Government and regulators Government of Venezuela (via Prensa Minera, 27 November 2018): Cyanidation plants described as a more efficient and less polluting alternative to mercury. UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- International bodies UN Fact-Finding Mission: The Arc resulted in "an expansion of illegal mining" within and beyond the formal perimeters; chemical mercury was widely used despite the ban. UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
A February 2016 presidential decree opened a 111,843.70 km² zone south of the Orinoco to state-led mining of gold, diamonds, coltan, iron and bauxite. UN bodies reported an expansion of mining outside authorisation, mercury exposure among downstream Indigenous communities and no published environmental budget.
Figure given by OHCHR; IPEN gives 111,846 km². The UN Fact-Finding Mission adds 1,754 km² for the Ikabarú area.
Status As of October 2026: a new Ley de Minas was approved in April 2026; the 2016 nullity petition at the Supreme Court had not been answered as of September 2022; no environmental budget on record.
- Venezuelan state and the BCV — Sole legal buyer of Arc gold; the BCV reported acquiring 9.2 tons domestically in 2018 UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Military-owned companies — CAMIMPEG recorded a net profit of Bs. 175,979,443.69 at the end of 2020 UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- Members of the military and political elite — According to the UN Fact-Finding Mission, they benefited and continue to benefit financially from gold mining-related activities in the Arco Minero UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (via ecoi.net)
- Criminal or armed groups and mill owners — Miners paid about 10–20% of ore to criminal or armed groups and about 15–30% to mill owners (OHCHR) UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Miners — Gold was bought at about 25% below international prices (OHCHR) UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Indigenous communities downstream — High mercury levels detected; 92% of 152 women sampled in the Caura baseline study above the WHO reference Fundación La Salle / WCS / Universidad de Oriente
- Venezuelan Amazon forest — Over 140,000 hectares of primary forest lost in the four years to 2020 MAAP / Amazon Conservation
- Six rivers opened to dredge mining — Auro, Caura, Caroní, Cuchutero, Cuyuní and Yuruari (Resolution 0010, April 2020) UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
What happened
On 24 February 2016 Decree No. 2.248 (Official Gazette 40.855) created the "Zona de Desarrollo Estratégico Nacional Arco Minero del Orinoco". OHCHR summarised its stated objectives as organising mining in Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro, diversifying state resources and regulating the exploitation of gold, diamonds, coltan, iron and bauxite through miners, small mining companies and larger public, private and mixed companies, "under the principles of defence of national sovereignty, respect for indigenous peoples, transparency and sustainability". According to the UN Fact-Finding Mission, article 13 of the decree gave the armed forces (FANB) power to "safeguard, protect, and maintain the harmonious continuity of the operations and activities of the Strategic Industries".
The decree followed Decree No. 8.413 of 23 August 2011, which nationalised gold mining, and Decree-Law No. 2.165 of 30 December 2015, which required all mined gold to be sold or delivered to the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV). The military-owned company CAMIMPEG was created on 10 February 2016. Corporación Venezolana de Minería (CVM) became the parent of eight state companies and 23 mining areas; between 2016 and 2018 it took part in at least five mixed companies and close to 70 strategic alliances for processing plants, and by November 2018 more than 500 strategic alliances with small-scale miners existed. In October 2018 the state company Minerven formed a joint venture, MIBITURVEN, with a company that the UN Mission said was controlled by Alex Nain Saab Morán.
In 2016 President Maduro announced investment and operating agreements with foreign companies with an estimated value of US$5.5 billion; the UN Mission wrote that "only a limited number of contracts eventually materialised". The opposition-led National Assembly adopted a resolution annulling the decree in June 2016, which the executive disregarded. A constitutional nullity petition filed at the Supreme Court in 2016 remained unanswered as of September 2022. In April 2020 Resolution No. 0010 of the mining ministry authorised dredge mining for gold and diamonds in six rivers (Auro, Caura, Caroní, Cuchutero, Cuyuní and Yuruari).
OHCHR (A/HRC/44/54, July 2020) reported that chemical mercury was widely used despite a 2016 nationwide ban and that high levels of mercury had been detected in Indigenous communities living downstream. MAAP, using University of Maryland data, reported that the Venezuelan Amazon lost over 140,000 hectares of primary forest in the four years to 2020, with most hotspots inside the Arc. The UN Fact-Finding Mission wrote in 2022 that the Arc, officially intended to streamline extraction and control illegal mining, "actually resulted in an expansion of illegal mining both within and beyond the formal perimeters".
On the money side, OHCHR reported that miners paid about 10–20% of ore mined to criminal or armed groups and about 15–30% to mill owners, and that gold was bought at about 25% below international prices. Officials claimed rising output: in May 2026 Minister Héctor Silva was reported as giving 9.5 tonnes of gold for 2025 and a projection of about 12 tonnes for 2026. In 2026 a new Ley de Minas (131 articles) was approved by the National Assembly on 9 April, giving the BCV a preferential right to buy gold, and a decree of 4 February 2026 reorganised the mining ministry. No environmental budget, impact study or remediation fund for the Arc is on record.
- 2011Decree 8.413 nationalises gold mining (23 Aug); gold regions declared security zones
- 2015Decree-Law 2.165 requires all mined gold to be sold to the BCV (30 Dec)
- 2016CAMIMPEG created (10 Feb); Decree 2.248 creates the Arc (24 Feb); National Assembly resolution annulling it ignored (Jun); nationwide mercury ban (5 Aug)
- 2017Decree 3.188 identifies 23 mining zones, all in Bolívar (5 Dec); constitutional law gives the BCV an exclusive role in buying Arc gold (29 Dec)
- 2018MIBITURVEN joint venture formed (Oct); BCV reports buying 9.2 t of gold domestically
- 2020Resolution 0010 opens six rivers to dredge mining (7/8 Apr); OHCHR report A/HRC/44/54 presented (15 Jul)
- 2022MAAP #155 on forest loss (14 Jun); UN Fact-Finding Mission publishes A/HRC/51/CRP.2 (20 Sep)
- 2026Mining ministry reorganised by Decree 5.239 (4 Feb); new Ley de Minas approved (9 Apr); official production claim for 2025 and projection for 2026 (May)
What was said
“actually resulted in an expansion of illegal mining both within and beyond the formal perimeters”
“Authorities should take immediate steps to end labour and sexual exploitation, child labour and human trafficking”
“everyone in Guayana knows that a miner will be a miner all his life. Before, we tried to pull them out of mining areas to engage them in other activities, but it didn't work.”
“have benefited and continue to benefit financially from gold mining-related activities in the Arco Minero”
“destroying mother earth without any mercy”
“degrade Venezuela's infrastructure and natural environment through economic mismanagement and confiscatory mining and industrial practices”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Adds 1,754 km² for the Ikabarú area (a total of 12.4% of the national territory); a Spanish NGO dossier gives 11.843,70 km², which the Mission treats as a likely typing error.
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on VenezuelaCites Presidential Decree No. 1412, Official Gazette No. 40,960, of 5 August 2016.
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela36 per 100,000 in Bolívar; 94 in El Callao.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)84 per 100,000 in Bolívar; 368 in El Callao.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)About 90 consultation meetings reported.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)Reported no consultation meeting national or international standards, and none before the April 2020 rivers resolution; Mapoyo representatives were satisfied.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)Stated objectives include mining regulated under principles of sustainability and respect for Indigenous peoples.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)Cyanidation plants described as a more efficient and less polluting alternative to mercury.
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on VenezuelaThe Arc resulted in "an expansion of illegal mining" within and beyond the formal perimeters; chemical mercury was widely used despite the ban.
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on VenezuelaAnnounced agreements with foreign companies estimated at US$5.5 billion (August 2016).
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on VenezuelaOnly a limited number of contracts eventually materialised.
UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on VenezuelaHow it looked
Shown
- In 2011 President Chávez described the area as "one of the world's biggest [gold] reserves" worth an estimated US$12–13 billion.President Hugo Chávez, as cited by the UN Fact-Finding Mission · UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- In 2016 Mining/Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino estimated the country's gold reserves at US$280 billion.Eulogio del Pino, as cited by the UN Fact-Finding Mission · UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- Maduro said 150 mining companies from 35 countries had expressed interest in the Arc (24 February 2016) and announced foreign investment agreements estimated at US$5.5 billion (26 August 2016).President Nicolás Maduro, as cited by the UN Fact-Finding Mission · UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- Cyanidation plants were presented as a "more efficient and less polluting alternative" to mercury.Venezuelan government, as paraphrased by the UN Fact-Finding Mission · UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- Production of 9.5 tonnes of gold in 2025, "the highest since 2008", attributed to operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.Minister Héctor Silva, via Últimas Noticias · Finanzas Digital (citing Últimas Noticias)
Recorded
- Primary forest loss in the Venezuelan Amazon was over 140,000 hectares in the four years to 2020; protected areas (43% of the region) accounted for about 30% of it, and most hotspots lay within the Arc.
- In 2017–2020 river-based mining in the Arc caused a loss of more than 1,800 hectares; Caura, Canaima and Yapacana national parks lost more than 22,000 hectares combined from all causes.
- In the Caura River baseline study (sampling in 2011), 92% of 152 hair samples from women in five Ye'kwana and Sanema communities exceeded the WHO (1990) reference of 2 mg/kg; the maximum was 45.41 mg/kg, and contamination was found more than 200 km from mine discharge points.
- In El Callao (IPEN, June 2021), 13 of 35 women sampled (37.1%) had hair mercury above 1 ppm; the highest was 5.5 ppm.
- Seven cyanidation plants were operative, 13% of the 54 originally planned.
- The BCV reported acquiring 9.2 tons of gold in 2018 in the domestic market without specifying the origin of the gold.
- CAMIMPEG, 100% owned by the Ministry of Defence, recorded a net profit of 175,979,443.69 bolívares at the end of 2020; the UN Mission gave an approximate conversion of US$30.9 million.
- Five budget-credit transfers for the Ecological Mining Development ministry, from current to capital spending, were published in Gazette 43.214 on 16 September 2025: Bs. 319.940,00; 1.152.169,00; 4.815.947,00; 11.138.101,92 and 3.882.512,08. No purpose was stated.
- The 2026 mining law provides royalties of up to 13% on gross production, a mining tax of up to 6%, 30-year concessions extendable twice by up to 10 years, and 10 to 15 years' prison for mining in environmentally protected zones.
- Operation "Manos de Metal" (June 2018) against gold trafficking: 426 bank accounts blocked, 29 properties seized, 22 individuals accused and 11 charged, two detained (Attorney General's Office, as reported to OHCHR).
- RAISG concluded in 2018 that 82% of the "illegal mining" sites mapped in the Amazon were in Venezuela (as cited by the UN Fact-Finding Mission).
- Mining Minister Víctor Cano said in July 2018 that the central bank had bought 17.6 tons of gold from small miners and that BCV reserves stood at 150 tons per BCV data (Reuters report republished by Hürriyet Daily News).
- Decree 5.239 (Gazette 43.310) of 4 February 2026 reorganised the mining ministry as the "Ministerio del Poder Popular de Desarrollo Minero Ecológico e Industrias Básicas".
- Transparencia Venezuela said in May 2026 that even deputies did not have the text of the national budget law.
- The BCV page on domestic gold purchases displayed only average gold prices for 2017–2026 on 19 October 2026.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- venezuela-gov (2020-06-02): Told OHCHR on 2 June 2020 that the homicide rate in Bolívar fell from 76 per 100,000 (2016) to 36 (2019), that a special Arc security brigade and a 2020 special security plan had been created, and that the Ministry for Indigenous Peoples held about 90 consultation meetings. · UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- venezuela-gov (2026-05): Minister Héctor Silva attributed the rise in gold production to operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. · Finanzas Digital (citing Últimas Noticias)
- fanb (2023-02): Launched a reforestation campaign in Canaima and Yapacana with the Ecosocialism and Water ministries; no budget stated. · Swissinfo (EFE)
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2016–OngoingNullity petition against Decree 2.248Supreme Court of Venezuela (TSJ) · Administrative · A citizens' platform → Decree 2.248 (Executive of Venezuela)
The constitutional nullity petition was filed in 2016 and admitted; the UN Fact-Finding Mission wrote that it remained unanswered as of September 2022. The National Assembly's resolutions annulling the decree (June 2016) and Resolution 0010 on rivers (Gazette 6.526, 8 April 2020) were disregarded by the executive. UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- 2016Outcome not on recordRusoro Mining Ltd. v. Venezuela (award linked to the earlier gold nationalisation)ICSID (Additional Facility) · Arbitration · Rusoro Mining Ltd. → Venezuela
ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/12/5, award of 22 August 2016, cited by the UN Fact-Finding Mission as an example of compensation payments after the nationalisation; the amount is not stated there. UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela
- 2018–OngoingOperation "Manos de Metal" against gold traffickingAttorney General's Office of Venezuela · Criminal · Attorney General's Office → 22 individuals accused, 11 of them charged (names not given)
In June 2018: 426 bank accounts blocked, 29 properties seized, 22 individuals accused and 11 charged, two detained, as reported to OHCHR. No outcome is given. UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Disputed Effect of the Arc on mining outside authorisation and on the environment
Money
- None on record Environmental budget or remediation fund for the Arc — None on record.
- None on record Estimated value of the reserves in the area, President Chávez — US$12–13 billion.
Court
- Unclear Rusoro Mining Ltd. v. Venezuela (award linked to the earlier gold nationalisation): outcome not on record.
Accounts
Record
- None on record None on record: a budget allocation, environmental impact study or remediation fund for environmental harm in the Arc. Transparencia Venezuela and Acceso a la Justicia state that the national budget law has not been published since 2017; in May 2026 Transparencia Venezuela said even deputies did not have its text.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: environmental and sociocultural impact studies, the number and names of partner companies, and the number of registered miners (OHCHR, 2020).
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: BCV data on gold received from Minerven, exports, destinations and foreign currency received (OHCHR, 2020). The BCV page on domestic gold purchases displayed only average gold prices for 2017–2026 on 19 October 2026.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: BCV gold reserve data after 2019 (UN Fact-Finding Mission, 2022).
- Not measured Not measured: the number of people mining in the Arc (OHCHR: no official information). Without official monitoring, the scope of unauthorised mining is impossible to ascertain (UN Fact-Finding Mission).
- Insufficient Insufficient: the share of Arc gold from unregulated mines. GIATOC and Transparencia Internacional put it at a minimum of 70% in a conservative estimate; the UN Mission said it had no means to determine the accuracy.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: the budget of the February 2023 FANB reforestation campaign in Canaima and Yapacana, where 400 rubber and cashew plants and 1,000 seeds were reported for Yapacana (EFE).
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: area, target or budget of the reforestation plans that sector representatives ratified in May 2026.
- Unclear Unclear: Venezuela had signed but not ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury as of the UN Mission's 2022 findings.
- Insufficient Insufficient: Acceso a la Justicia's summary of Decree 5.239 (4 February 2026) lists no environmental protection or monitoring duties for the reorganised ministry; "Ecológico" appears only in its name.
- Disputed Disputed: the government's homicide, consultation and revenue accounts differ from those of independent observers (see disputes).
Did the harm stop?
No end of harm is recorded. The UN Fact-Finding Mission reported in 2022 an expansion of "illegal mining" within and beyond the formal perimeters; Resolution 0010 of April 2020 opened six rivers to dredge mining.
Who paid?
None on record: no budget or fund for environmental remediation. Downstream Indigenous communities carry the mercury exposure documented by OHCHR and the 2012 Caura study.
Sources
Government and regulators
- Executive Order 13850Federal Register (GovInfo) · 2018-11-01
- Minerales estratégicos / Oro / Estadísticas (Strategic minerals / Gold / Statistics)Banco Central de Venezuela · 2026-10-19
Press and investigations
- Venezuela exported $779 mln in gold to Turkey in 2018: DataHürriyet Daily News (Reuters) · 2018-07-20
- Producción de oro en el Arco Minero podría aumentar 30% en 2026 (Gold production in the Mining Arc could rise 30% in 2026)Finanzas Digital (citing Últimas Noticias) · 2026-05-18
- Gaceta Oficial 43.214 (Official Gazette 43.214 summary)Finanzas Digital · 2025-09-16
Communities and civil society
- MAAP #155: Deforestation Hotspots in the Venezuelan AmazonMAAP / Amazon Conservation · 2022-06-14
- Mercury Exposure of Women in Four Latin American Gold Mining CountriesIPEN / Biodiversity Research Institute · 2021-06
- Creación del Ministerio Minero Ecológico e Industrias Básicas (Creation of the Ecological Mining and Basic Industries Ministry)Acceso a la Justicia · 2026-02-19
Researchers
- Evaluación del riesgo de exposición al metil-mercurio en poblaciones indígenas ribereñas del Río Caura (Assessment of methylmercury exposure risk in riverside Indigenous populations of the Caura River)Fundación La Salle / WCS / Universidad de Oriente · 2012-06-15
International bodies
- Independence of the justice system. and situation of human rights in the Arco Minero del Orinoco region (A/HRC/44/54)UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) · 2020-07-15
- The human rights situation in the Arco Minero del Orinoco region and other areas of the Bolívar state (A/HRC/51/CRP.2, advance unedited version, mirror copy)UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela · 2022-09-20
- Venezuela: UN report highlights criminal control of mining areaUN News · 2020-07-15
- A/HRC/51/43 (report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela)UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (via ecoi.net) · 2022-11-17
Connected cases
- Gold mining inside Canaima National Park Venezuela · 2016–2026 Related matter
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Park authority and responsible state
- Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) (Public authority) — here: Armed forces with powers under the decree; military-owned companies; there: Announced reforestation campaign
- UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (International organisation) — here: A/HRC/51/CRP.2 findings; there: Findings on the 8 December 2018 attack
- MAAP / Amazon Conservation (NGO) — here: Forest-loss analysis; there: Forest-loss analysis
- SOS Orinoco (NGO) — here: NGO monitoring mining in the south; there: NGO reporting the extent of mining
- Gold mining in Yapacana National Park and the 2023 military evictions Venezuela · 2021–2025 Related matter
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Ministry of Defence statements; National Guard post at the park entrance
- Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) (Public authority) — here: Armed forces with powers under the decree; military-owned companies; there: Carried out the 2022 and 2023 operations
- MAAP / Amazon Conservation (NGO) — here: Forest-loss analysis; there: Deforestation analysis (MAAP #234)
- SOS Orinoco (NGO) — here: NGO monitoring mining in the south; there: Imagery partner
- Tumeremo killings and armed control of gold mines in Bolívar Venezuela · 2015–2026 Related matter
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Responsible state; Public Prosecutor, security forces
- Supreme Court of Venezuela (TSJ) (Court) — here: Nullity petition against Decree 2.248 pending; there: Transferred the case to Caracas in September 2021
- UN Human Rights Office (International body) — here: A/HRC/44/54 report; there: A/HRC/44/54 report on 16 incidents
- UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (International organisation) — here: A/HRC/51/CRP.2 findings; there: Findings on the 4 March 2016 killings
- Venezuelan gold exports to Turkey and the UAE and US sanctions on Minerven and the Central Bank Venezuela · 2018–2026 Related matter
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Exporting state
- Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) (Bank) — here: Sole legal buyer of Arc gold; there: Seller of the gold; sanctioned 17 April 2019
- Minerven (Venezuelan state gold mining company) (Company) — here: State gold company; MIBITURVEN joint venture; there: State gold company; sanctioned 19 March 2019
- Las Cristinas gold project: 2008 permit denial in the Imataca reserve, Crystallex ICSID award and court-ordered sale of CITGO's parent Venezuela · 2008–2026 Related matter
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Respondent; judgment debtor
- SOS Orinoco (NGO) — here: NGO monitoring mining in the south; there: Environmental organisation; reports on Las Claritas
- Canaima National Park: fire suppression for the Guri catchment, mining pressure and the UNESCO decisions Venezuela · 1981–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: State Party to the World Heritage Convention
- SOS Orinoco (NGO) — here: NGO monitoring mining in the south; there: NGO measuring mining inside the park
- Nissos Amorgos tanker spill, Gulf of Venezuela, 1997, and the US$60 million environmental-damage judgment Venezuela · 1997–2014
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Claimant State; awarded US$60 million
- Supreme Court of Venezuela (TSJ) (Court) — here: Nullity petition against Decree 2.248 pending; there: Upheld the judgment in May 2013
- Accra's Agbogbloshie scrap market demolished in July 2021 Ghana · 2021
- IPEN (NGO) — here: El Callao hair mercury study; there: Reported 2019 dioxin levels in eggs
- Asiatic cheetah conservation project in Iran: 25 years of funding and a count of 26 animals Iran · 2000–2026
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Phase I partner; contributed US$410,000
- Brisas gold-copper project: 2008 revocation of the environmental permit in Imataca and Gold Reserve's ICSID award Venezuela · 2007–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Respondent
- Dioxin found in eggs near Lucknow medical waste incinerator India · date not stated
- IPEN (NGO) — here: El Callao hair mercury study; there: Published the egg sampling findings
- Ecopetrol Lizama well blowout (Colombia) Colombia · 2018–2021
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Conservation organisation listing Ecopetrol among its corporate supporters
- Guri dam, drought and the 2010, 2016 and 2019 power crises: catchment, emergency contracts and prosecutions Venezuela · 2003–2023
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Decreed the electric emergency; attributed the 2019 blackout to sabotage
- Kahuzi-Biega National Park: Batwa evictions and killings DR Congo · 1975–2024
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Funder, then park manager from April 2022
- Lake Maracaibo chronic oil leaks Venezuela · 2010–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Announced the July 2023 clean-up plan and pipeline replacement
- Lake Valencia: rising level, sewage and compensation for flooded homes Venezuela · 1976–2023
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Funded the clean-up programmes and the Pao-Cachinche transfer
- Marshall Islands nuclear tribunal awards over USD 2bn; payments are a small fraction Marshall Islands · 1946–2026
- UN Human Rights Office (International body) — here: A/HRC/44/54 report; there: Called for full compensation (October 2026)
- Report says a man died after ecoguard beating in Republic of the Congo park Republic of the Congo · 2017
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Conservation NGO; response: none on record
- Rusoro Mining award for the El Callao gold mines: Venezuela's unquantified natural-resource counterclaim and Rusoro's role in the CITGO sale Venezuela · 2008–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Respondent; counterclaimant
- Siembra Minera: the merged Brisas–Cristinas area in the Orinoco Mining Arc, the 2022 revocation and Gold Reserve's new arbitration Venezuela · 2016–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Respondent
- Tobacco groups' diversification into oil, food and shipping United States · 2005–2026
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Conservation organisation; trustee role documented
- Unpaid Venezuelan contributions to the IOPC Funds, 2019–2026 Venezuela · 2019–2026
- Government of Venezuela (Government) — here: Issued Decree 2.248; mining ministry and state companies; there: Member State of the 1992 Fund; Ambassador in London approached by the Director
- WWF independent review (Pillay panel) and US funding suspension International · 2019–2020
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Grantee under US review
- WWF-funded ranger units accused of torture and killings in Asia and Africa Multiple countries · 2006–2023
- Wildlife Conservation Society (NGO) — here: Co-author of the Caura mercury study; there: Took over management of Kahuzi-Biega park in April 2022