1 / 24

Human Rights Impact Assessment in Mining and Infrastructure Development

This comprehensive guide explores the challenges and implications of Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) in the context of corporate actions in mines and infrastructure projects. It covers the responsibilities of both public and private entities, using examples from various sectors. The text delves into the application of HRIA based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, emphasizing the need for due diligence by companies. Case studies such as Paladin’s Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Malawi demonstrate the diverse human rights impacts of such projects. The book also highlights the importance of HRIA in assessing mining activities, emphasizing methodologies, timing, and societal effects. Additionally, it points out the necessity of a distinct approach for infrastructure projects to evaluate both direct and systematic human rights impacts. Overall, the text stresses the significance of transparency, criticism, and continuous improvement in HRIA methodologies.

koren
Download Presentation

Human Rights Impact Assessment in Mining and Infrastructure Development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. State of the Art and Challenges Human Rights Impact Assessment of Mines and Infrastructure Mark Wielga, Nomogaia

  2. I. Public and Private HRIA Public Action Private Action Examples: Mines, oil and gas fields, plantations, factories Covers the corporate duty to respect human rights Covers specially affected groups and specific impacts of corporate operations • Examples: Trade Agreements, Government Programs • Covers the government duty to protect, respect and fulfill human rights • Covers specially affected groups and broad societal impacts

  3. Human Rights Impact Assessment of Corporate Action • Norm: United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011) • Requires companies to act with “due diligence” • HRIA is a form of due diligence • Many transnational companies now attempting to do HRIAs

  4. Problems with the current state of corporate HRIA • Not public • No standard method • No established expertise inside the company • No established expertise among consultants • Little guidance in the academic literature

  5. Mining: Public HRIAs

  6. Mining HRIA—Timing and Affect

  7. Mining HRIA--Methodologies

  8. II. Mine HRIA Example Paladin’s Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Malawi

  9. KAYELEKERA Open Pit Uranium Mine Operator Paladin (Africa) Ltd. Owned: 85% Paladin Resources Ltd. (Australia) 15% Government of Malawi

  10. Kayelekera: Project, Context and Company Project (medium size open pit uranium mine and mill) Context (Northern Malawi: sparse poor rural population, weak infrastructure) Company (Paladin: Australia based medium size company, good policies and short track record)

  11. Ratings -12 to -25 -0.5 to -12 0.5 to 12 12 to 25

  12. Kayelekera: Example of Human Rights Impact Ratings HIV/Aids:There will be a significant increase in rates without strenuous additional efforts. (Strong Negative) Water Quality:Negative impacts on water downstream. (Negative, but may be mitigated or offset by multi-million dollar water treatment system) Discrimination: Hiring is of men from Southern Malawi - no efforts to recruit or train locals or women. (Negative) Food: No significant productive land lost to project. Project sources food locally. Increase in local demand has inflated prices for consumers and farmers. (Mixed) Labor standards: Safe healthy work environment. (Strong Positive) Standard of Living:For many employees significantly increased. (Strong Positive)

  13. Recommendations: HIV Drama Group at Mine

  14. Recommendations: Upgraded Schools

  15. Recommendations: Sanitation

  16. III. Infrastructure HRIAs • Need a different methodology from large footprint corporate HRIAs to consider systematic impacts • Need to consider human right duties of companies and governments

  17. Example of Human Rights Analysis of an Infrastructure Project: Disi Conveyance Project

  18. Jordan: An Extremely Water Poor Country

  19. There is a small Footprint Effect

  20. But a much greater System-wide Effect

  21. Disi was funded as a public-private partnership development project.

  22. Infrastructure HRIA: A Hybrid • Needs to measure the systematic human rights impacts: increased water use in a water stressed country or subsidy for large agriculture? • Needs to measure direct effects of footprint: land use changes, people are displaced • Both are relevant to development

  23. Conclusions HRIA of Corporate Projects • Still in its infancy • Need for a leading methodology • Need for transparency, criticism, improvement HRIA of Infrastructure Projects • Just beginning • Methodology must consider footprint and system effects

  24. THANK YOU!

More Related