Dear Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the new year.

2012 has proved to be an incredibly busy time, during which the ban asbestos campaign has crossed into new geographical territories and expanded the range of initiatives to progress our goal of banning asbestos internationally.

As well as providing direct assistance to asbestos victims, members of our network have achieved many high-profile successes, all of which involved serious commitments of time and hard work.

In February 2012, after more than a decade of research and preparation, the Italian judicial process handed down a guilty verdict in the iconic trial of former directors of the multinational asbestos giant: Eternit. This judgment was hailed as a landmark in the fight by victims and was reported not only in Italy but around the world. The IBAS monograph Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial, which was published on the day the decision was announced in Turin, is now available in English, Portuguese, Thai and Japanese.

In May, members and supporters of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) set off on an inaugural 600 kilometre trek from Kalgoorlie to Perth to raise awareness and research funds for the Wittenoom children. After more than 30 years supporting Australia’s asbestos victims, the ADSA continues at the forefront of the Australian campaign for asbestos justice.

Brazilian activists, known for their creativity and constancy, ensured that asbestos, an issue omitted from the Rio+20 agenda, took center-stage during the People’s Summit for Social and Environmental Justice in mid-June. “The Rio+20 Asbestos Toxic Tour,” organized by asbestos victims, trade unions and their supporters was a colourful, vocal and dynamic visualization of grassroots ban asbestos activism. Just a few weeks after this took place, the Brazilian Supreme Court held asbestos hearings in Brasilia to consider the issue of whether or not state asbestos bans were constitutional.

At the same time, ban asbestos activists were also participating in activities in the asbestos-producing countries of Russia and Canada. Shortly afterwards, a new government in Quebec announced the withdrawal of government support for the asbestos industry; the actions taken by Quebec Premier Pauline Marois brought about the end of over 100 years of asbestos mining in Canada.

Throughout the year, public demonstrations, political meetings and other activities have signalled the escalation of ban asbestos activism in India, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Elsewhere campaigners in countries which have already banned asbestos succeeded in highlighting the plight of victims at venues such as the European Parliament and the French Senate as well as at the Australian, Japanese, Italian and British Parliaments.

Much of what has taken place has been covered in the hundreds of items uploaded this year to the IBAS website. Feedback from ban asbestos campaigners confirms the importance of the IBAS website as a global resource; statistics reveal that the IBAS site is attracting thousands of unique visitors every month. IBAS articles, interviews, news items, blogs, conference papers and information provide up-to-date, accessible and archived material to an ever-expanding network. During 2012, IBAS has ventured into the twittersphere and has been pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of this form of communication.

There is no doubt that 2013 will prove challenging – even now Russian vested interests are finalizing their strategy to achieve domination of the asbestos dialogue at the upcoming meeting of the Rotterdam Convention. Russian lobbyists from industry and the government continue efforts to promote asbestos in developing countries like Thailand where the use of asbestos remains legal and politicians remain receptive to pro-asbestos rhetoric.

Despite the successes achieved to date, there is no room for complacency about what the future holds.

I hope that you have all enjoyed a peaceful time over recent days and that the New Year will be a healthy and happy time for you all. I look forward to working with all ban asbestos campaigners in the months to come.

Best regards,

Laurie

2012 12 31

www.ibassecretatiat.org   

Founder of IBAS(International Ban Asbestos Secretariat)