Document ykMxXGnZO9oXNgG7om48kNmGd

FILE NAME: Z/ZZZ/Ed DATE: EZ DOC#: /Ed DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION:DZZZZsZZ Zh/ZZZ EZDZZZZZ Z '~lHNNH~l.~ernanaa 'The Ast>e.stos Inrematlonal Association for cinv:itonmc11ta1 and ~up!!ional health November 2rMf, 2000 PAGE: 03 To AH AIA Member A51;ociations Alf AIA Governing Council Membeirs AIA l;:)tl.lr.tJtive Committee Members ACPPA MAmbers Others De/From : Cloment Godbout Subject : Declaration of Vancouver Greetings: ------------ Attaehed for your infom1aliur1 is a capy of the Declaration ot Vancouver, signed by the Ministers und Heads of Oelagatfon, of the participating countries at the Flfth Annu-.1 aonfcrenee of ttie Mining Ministries of the Americas, last October, 2000. Thi!a ie a very important document. as it re.affkm tha commitment of these oountriea to the controlled-use approach to minerals a!'1d metals. Alao enclosed for your information Is a brfeftng note on the situation In Chile, which we are monitorin9 very clo~ely. Elest regards. Alfi,..-,,,- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FIMB 114, 1~ ......__Davie IMy, -------VA~ USA Tot (51-f)e6M1U l"iioi: {$f.f)8'Mt5a .....ch)'llOde.oom NGO ln """""'"'ltlldive .talus {Aoster) Wltlt tnfl i=cot10mio ncl Social Counoll oftt'I Unit~ N<Mions 02/21/00 11: 14 TX/RX N0.0137 P.003 F M:GIRNNRSI,Fernanda <55-11)5083-3830 '. Asbaatos~- Depree Jo ban the ug and Jmport Qf.Ja3besto In Chlie PRGE: 04 The Minister of Health of Chile hAs decided to i33ue a decree that would totally ban the fmPQrt and use of asbeatos Jn Onlle. Tho Deoree is now before President Lagos for hi.,; conaideratlon and approval. ~round In the last coupr.., of years. the Chilean Govemment has ben under pressure to implement an asbestos ban. The Minister of Envfronment indioat&d a few limes its intent to follOW the European Union example in thllt matter. In June 2000. the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urban Development decided to ban asbestos-cement producta from its social housing program~. covelring approximately 20,000 houalng units a year. Given the importance of its natural resources sector. Chile. like Canada, has arwaya been c. ;:,trong ac.1pport~..- gf the aafe u&e prfnofple in various fora such as th Annual Mines Minlatriea of the Amarioas Conference. This prlnclpte calls for the oontrolfed uae of mineral and metals llke chrysotife asbestos or Copper. The Canadian mission in Santiago facilitated two missions from the Aabestos institute In May and August 2000 to discuss the applJeatfon of the safe use principle to ehrysotile asbestos. On July a1 11t, the Canadian Ambassador to Chile sent a letter to the Minister ot Health conveying the Canadian position on asbestos and requesting meetings with Asbestos lnstttuta officials before any final decision made on Chile' polfcy regarding ast>eatos.. Senator Raymond Setlakwe raised our concema en asbestos with the Chifean Government durfng his mission to cnne from October a to 15 The Canadian ohry&etile aabeetoa industry sends 1s % of its exports to Latin American countries. arazll, COlombla, and Mexioo ara the main lmporters of canadran chryaotlle. wn11e Chile ie not an Important export market for Canadian chrysotlle (SS0,000 $ of exports In 1999. down from 2 milfion $ In 1998}. if ft proceeds with banning asbestos It could lnffuenett other countries In Latin AmeriOA to follow euft. 02/21/00 11: 14 TX/RX N0.0137 P.004 PAGE: 05 0 E.SPAA.OL ~ FRANyAIS 0 PORTUGUES 02/21/00 11: 14 TX/RX N0.0137 p .005 JaUdng points <55 -11)5083-3830 .. We. understand that, under pressure from the internatiooal ubest.01 ban movement, the Chilean govermnent is ~na its position concernln.e the 1afe use of ehrysotile asbestos. In Canada, we are ICf)llftdent of coPBumed ability to 111e chrysotile sal'.ty and. we are or c.onc:etned that an outright ban of uf)estos, a ip.atural ubstanee, will set a pretWtent for tbe baJIDing other ~mmoditiea such as al.:iminum~ coppAr or 11ickel. Could we have an update on tho etatY of the C.Cr. . that would Implement suoh a ban? As a member ot the Annual Min Mlnlttle of tl\e America Conference Chile has always been a atrong aupporter of the safe use prlnciptet aa tt appfles to all minerals end metal. Chile' minlnt1 minister r.rat eodoraed this princdpla in 1998 when he signed the Buenos Ahw Declaration. Thi$ co~tment was re-- afft:rmed by Chile's Subsecretarla de Mb1efta..Jacquelln.e Sai:D.tard., at tbl year'sconference in Vancouver, Octobel" 4--6, :2000- SMcolednBtlDficcebv~idtelnleee da.opedsc1o1ojmt sPup' ppr&ordtucbtsacnaonnbcehurysgeod.tsialefealsybweshtoens.the safe use principle is respK-ied We would be pleded to provide you with l"etevant documentation or tO arrange for a Canadian del1at1on to travel to Chile to discuss the l.Hws with Chilean officials. We urge the Chilean Government to oontlnu it poli.CY of advocating th safe use of all minerals and rnetala, Including chrysotll a9bestos PRGE: 06 I ..... _. 02/21/00 11: 14 TX/RX N0.0137 p .006