ICMM commits to UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) on Monday committed its members to implement the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Speaking at the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, ICMM CE Tom Butler announced the industry body's new performance expectations that will "define what mining with principles looks like in practice", by setting a benchmark for the industry’s environmental and social performance. The performance expectations, which will apply to all ICMM members, were developed with extensive input from nongovernmental organisations, international organisations and academics. “ICMM’s council of 27 CEOs have shown real leadership in being the first industry body to commit to implementing the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. “Importantly, other companies will also be able to publicly commit to our performance expectations and I hope this will lead the broader industry to further improve its social and environmental performance,” stated Butler. The ICMM is developing guidance on how members will validate the performance expectations at the asset level, including through independent third-party assessments. "We expect this guidance to be complete in the middle of 2019. The guidance will be piloted during the second half of 2019, followed by full implementation across the membership," the industry body noted