Mining companies strengthen their commitment to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples
London, UK – Ahead of tomorrow’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, ICMM members reaffirm their commitment to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, recognising their importance as partners in the development of mining projects on their lands and territories.
ICMM’s updated Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement includes commitments to obtain agreement from Indigenous Peoples on anticipated impacts to their rights from our activities, identified through human rights due diligence and early and meaningful engagement. These processes reflect a company’s responsibility to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, independent of the State’s obligation to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples prior to the approval of projects affecting their lands, territories and resources. It also sets out what companies will do if agreement cannot be reached and States have granted permission for projects to proceed.
This comes at a critical time in the world’s energy transition, with an estimated 54% of critical mineral mining projects located on or near Indigenous lands.2 It is also set against the backdrop of increasing challenges to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ways of life from a variety of sources including climate change, nature loss and wider industrial development including mining.
The revised Position Statement has been developed over more than two years with extensive engagement with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, human rights and legal experts, and with significant input from ICMM members’ subject matter experts and leaders. Their inputs have helped to inform and strengthen the 9 commitments detailed in the Position Statement.
The updated Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement brings significantly more rigor to the expectations of ICMM member companies in how we, the mining industry, engage, understand and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These commitments serve as the foundations of lasting relationships built on transparency, trust and mutual benefit.
These important commitments reinforce our dedication to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights, participating in meaningful engagement, and supporting the fair and equitable participation of Indigenous Peoples in the development of mining projects on their lands and territories. With these revisions, we hope to provide much needed clarity on the role of companies, alongside States, to contribute to the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples in decisions that affect them.
“Alongside many positive examples of respectful and enduring partnerships that have advanced social and economic development of Indigenous Peoples, we recognise that in some instances, mining activities have harmed Indigenous People’s rights. We will continue to reflect on how we can better develop, operate and close mines in ways that enhance our critical relationships with Indigenous Peoples and contribute to aligned development aspirations, and respects Indigenous Peoples right to participate in decision making on matters that will affect them.
The standards relating to Indigenous Peoples are changing, and there is now greater recognition of their rights and what FPIC really entails. ICMM’s Position Statement helps solidify current best practices even against this evolving landscape. It helps companies to understand what activities they should be undertaking and stakeholders to understand how they should be evaluating these activities.
ICMM’s Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement was first published in 2008 and updated in 2013. This latest update reflects lessons learned as well as strengthened ambitions and practices across the industry in the last decade, developments in international policy and evolving expectations of rightsholders and stakeholders. It also strengthens alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), International Labor Organization’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO 169), United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and the International Finance Corporation Performance Standard 7: Indigenous Peoples (IFC PS7) and 8: Cultural Heritage (IFC PS8).
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Notes to Editors
- The Position Statement is available to download here: https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/our-principles/position-statements/indigenous-peoples
About ICMM
ICMM stands for mining with principles. We bring together a third of the global metals and mining industry, along with key partners to drive leadership, action and innovation for sustainable development, ultimately delivering a positive contribution to society. Through collaboration, ICMM member companies set the standard for responsibly produced minerals and metals in a safe, just and sustainable world.
Media contacts
Molly Stewart (UK)
Senior Manager, Communications
Molly.Stewart@icmm.com
+44 (0)7887778794
