LONDON, U.K. – The
International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has published an updated guide to help mining companies build mutually beneficial relationships with indigenous peoples.
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 local communities. 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 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 organizations 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.
To download a PDF file of the guide or read it online, click
here (
ICMM.com).
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