Previous Story
New guide on Indigenous Peoples and mining
Posted On 31 Oct 2015
Comment: 0
The International Council on Metals and Mining (ICMM ) has published an updated guide to help mining companies build mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
Responsible mining companies engage with the communities where they operate, building strong relationships based on trust and respect. While good practice guidance is partly about helping companies avoid negative impacts – or doing no harm – it is also intended to help companies contribute positively to communities, regardless of whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous.
The Indigenous Peoples and mining good practice guide outlines the principles for good engagement in order to foster respect for the rights, interests, aspirations, cultures and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.
“The guide is intended to provide companies with practical tools to support positive and lasting relationships with indigenous communities in the areas where they operate,” said ICMM’s CEO Tom Butler.
Originally published in 2011, the updated guide now includes guidance on how companies could work towards obtaining the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected indigenous communities.
It addresses the principles of good engagement, indigenous participation in decision-making, managing impacts, developing agreements and dealing with grievances.
It is also supported by a set of tools on how to implement the guidance, a series of case studies and links to other resources.
The updated document provides guidance on how to implement the commitments in ICMM’s 2015 Mining and Indigenous Peoples Position Statement which applies to all members. This statement applies to all new projects (and changes to existing projects) likely to have significant adverse impacts on Indigenous Peoples effective May 2015.
The guide also takes into account relevant standards in this area, including the IFC Performance Standards and has incorporated comments from more than 20 individuals and organisations who provided input during a public comment period earlier in the year.
As with all of ICMM’s guidance documents, member companies were directly involved in shaping the final guide.
“The opportunity to bring together the experiences of our members in order to share lessons learned and develop good practice is at the heart of what ICMM does,” said Mr Butler.
For further information please view the ICMM Indigenous Peoples and mining good practice guide:
