The gold industry has come under close scrutiny from NGOs that are concerned of inhumane conditions at some mines in developing countries.
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
Campaigning NGO Swissaid faces a lawsuit from gold refinery Valcambi after it refused to retract allegations of suspect dealings with a controversial supplier.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Valcambi has already lodged a criminal complaint with prosecutors in canton Bern, according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA. The refinery, based in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino, has now threatened a civil lawsuit.
Earlier this year, Swissaid published a reportExternal link accusing Valcambi of dealing with United Arab Emirates company Kaloti, which it said was a “very controversial player in the industry”. Valcambi has denied that it had been opaque in its business relationships, saying that it had complied with regulations designed to protect gold miners from exploitation.
The refinery threatened to sue Swissaid unless it retracted its report by the end of the month, but the NGO has declined to comply with the demand.
Swissaid stated on its websiteExternal link that it “stands by the research of its study and condemns the threat of a complaint, knowing that the industry shares its concerns. Our demand remains the same: Valcambi must commit itself to human rights in the gold mines.”
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Asian investors sue Switzerland over Credit Suisse bond losses
This content was published on
More than 500 investors from Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong have launched claims against Switzerland in relation to AT1 bonds.
Man cleared of Geneva diplomat murder but convicted of rape
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has acquitted an Ivorian-Italian dual national of murdering an Egyptian diplomat in Geneva in 1995.
Switzerland to cut funding for gala cultural events from 2029
This content was published on
Large-scale Swiss cultural events, such as the Locarno Film Festival, will lose state funding from 2029 as part of a cost-cutting drive by the administration.
Ideas to recover ammunition from Swiss lakes flood in
This content was published on
An appeal to the public to suggest ways to safely retrieve 8,000 tons of munitions from the bottom of Swiss lakes has yielded around 100 proposals.
This content was published on
Swiss public television SRF will axe 50 full-time positions by the beginning of next year as it aims to make CHF9 million in savings.
Explosion in global patents for transport innovations
This content was published on
The number of patents for transport innovations has exploded in the last 20 years, rising 700% to 120,000 by 2023, says WIPO.
Swiss NGO Terre des hommes loses $10m from US aid freeze
This content was published on
The Swiss-based NGO Terre des hommes is losing $10 million in annual contributions as a result of the suspension of humanitarian aid by the United States administration.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Valcambi refinery denies sourcing ‘dirty’ gold from Dubai
This content was published on
The Swiss-based Valcambi refinery has rejected accusations about gold dealings with a controversial company in the United Arab Emirates.
How do you separate the good companies from the bad apples?
This content was published on
Our analysis of what the biggest global companies in Switzerland are up to. This week: dubious gold origins and vaccine deals.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.