Ahead of the 13th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) announces its strengthened commitments to respect and further recognition of the important role of human rights defenders.
Defenders often work on issues related to land, the environment and Indigenous peoples’ rights. By enhancing its commitments and introducing additional human rights due diligence tools, ICMM aims to mitigate risks to defenders associated with mining activities.
ICMM has strengthened its member commitments to include defenders explicitly in companies’ due diligence, stakeholder engagement, and security processes.
It has launched three new due diligence tools to support companies in respecting human rights defenders, integrating human rights across their businesses and to build awareness of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
The updated commitments reaffirm its belief that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and that mining companies, regardless of location, have a responsibility to uphold human rights.
The Human Rights Due Diligence Guidance provides companies with a set of practical tools to integrate human rights at every stage of the mining lifecycle. These three additional tools will also assist companies in aligning with the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
ICMM is touted as the first industry body to adopt the UN Guiding Principles on Business Human Rights.
President and CEO Rohitesh Dhawan says if a just energy transition is a common goal, then respect for human rights must be a shared promise.
“Commitments however, mean little without consistent application on the ground. That’s why ICMM’s tools, including the three new additions, are so important to support human rights practitioners ensure respect for rights at all times – including to protest, comment and campaign – and make space for peaceful and constructive cooperation. Like all ICMM resources, these tools are free to use by any company globally, and I hope are adopted across the mining industry and beyond,” says Dhawan.
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