• Share

Indigenous Peoples and Mining: Good Practice Guide

28 October 2015

This guidance aims to support mining and metals companies build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples. It provides a range of practical tools and case studies around engagement and Indigenous participation, managing impacts, agreements and dealing with grievances.

  • ICMM member companies commit to implementing ICMM’s position statement on Indigenous Peoples, including the commitment to work to obtain the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected indigenous communities.
  • This guide presents an updated version of ICMM’s 2010 Indigenous Peoples and mining Good Practice Guide. Like the earlier version of the Guide, it is intended as a good practice resource for mining companies and others with an interest in ensuring that mining projects bring long-term mutual benefits to companies and host communities.
  • In many respects, what constitutes good practice in relation to Indigenous Peoples is the same as for non-Indigenous Peoples. Regardless of where they operate, responsible companies aim to avoid impacting negatively on communities and seek to leave a positive legacy, particularly in relation to local social and economic development.
  • However, Indigenous Peoples have distinct rights and interests, and there are growing expectations that these will be respected by responsible companies.
  • Indigenous Peoples often also have a special relationship to land, territories and resources which can create specific obligations for companies, as well as presenting a range of unique challenges (and sometimes opportunities) that need to be understood and addressed.
  • The focus of the Guide is on mining-related activities that take place in remote locations, but it is recognized that some mines are located close to large urban centres that contain substantial Indigenous populations.
  • It contains a series of 13 tools, developed to give practical effect to the good practice principles covered in the Guide, and 26 case studies of how these principles have been applied at member operations.

This guidance is also available as an online resource.