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International Finance Corporation World Bank
Extractive industries can contribute to sustainable development, when projects are implemented well and preserve the rights of affected people, and if the benefits they generate are well-used. Extractive industries can yield benefits for countries through tax revenues, foreign exchange earnings, debt payments, production sharing and rents, the provision of jobs and infrastructure, and company social programs. Societies and economies depend heavily on the extractive industries in the stages of exploration, extraction, refining, recycling, transportation, and use of minerals. These companies provide direct and indirect employment, economic development, and a means of meeting basic needs. Maintaining a “social license” to operate requires companies to make major investments in social and environmental performance, including proactive community development strategies.

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GOXI

GOXI is a space to share, learn and connect for action towards greater accountability and, in turn, better development outcomes of extractive industries in Africa.

The Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor (Canada)

The Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor was established in 2009 as part of the Government of CanadaÂ’s CSR Strategy for the International Extractive Sector. Broadly speaking, the Strategy is designed to help Canadian mining, oil and gas companies meet their social and environmental responsibilities when operating abroad. The Office of the CSR Counsellor has a mandate to review CSR practices of Canadian companies operating outside of Canada and advise stakeholders on recognized best practices and endorsed performance standards.

Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED)

Many agencies are working to build a vibrant private sector, and to partner with business for development goals. But donor coordination is only possible if agencies share a 'world view' on how to do this most effectively; the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) exists to build that agreement.

Ecominerals Listserv
This group brings scholars and professionals together who are interested in innovative approaches to materials management across the mineral development cycle.
Center for Social Responsibility in Mining
The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) was established by the University of Queensland in 2001 in response to growing interest in and debate about the role of the mining and minerals industry in contemporary society. Since then, CSRM has contributed to industry change processes through leading research, post-graduate teaching, professional education, research-orientated consulting and pro-bono work. CSRM has global reach, with particular experience in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

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Canada's PM announces initiative to help developing countries manage their natural resources
27 Oct 2011

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the creation of the Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development. This initiative will build on Canada's leadership in the mining sector to support and build natural resource management capacity in developing countries. The announcement was made on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.


President Obama: The US will implement the EITI
20 Sep 2011

At the launch of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in New York today, US President Obama declared that the United States will implement the EITI.


Peru's president signs consultation law
7 Sep 2011

Peru's new president signed a law Tuesday that will require energy and mining companies to consult local communities about projects on their lands.


Kampala calls for Local Content
5 May 2010
A proposed law to manage Uganda's burgeoning oil industry will require companies to give priority to Ugandan suppliers and personnel when seeking contractors and employees, according to reports.

Sustainability: Extracting the best from Canadian Miners?
21 Apr 2009

On 26 March, the Canadian government unveiled a series of measures to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the extractive sector.

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Water Management
Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Following consultation with the Australian mining industry and other interest groups on the key issues affecting sustainable development, the “Leading Practice Sustainable Development” Program developed 14 handbooks. This handbook acknowledges water is integral to virtually all mining activities and typically the prime medium that can carry pollutant into the wider environment. Consequently, sound water management is fundamental for all mining operations. Water must be managed at all stages of the life cycle of minerals operations. A key principle to sound water management is the recognition of water as an asset with social, cultural, environmental and economic value.

Working with Indigenous Communities
Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Following consultation with the Australian mining industry and other interest groups on the key issues affecting sustainable development, the “Leading Practice Sustainable Development” Program developed 14 handbooks. This handbook acknowledges within the exploration and mining sectors, there is growing recognition that relationship building and agreement making with Indigenous people and other people with rights and interests in land and waters are more practical ways of dealing with native title matters than litigation and costly legal processes. Similarly, requirements for the appropriate recognition and handling of Indigenous cultural heritage issues will be better managed by building on sound relationships.

Mine Rehabilitation
Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Following consultation with the Australian mining industry and other interest groups on the key issues affecting sustainable development, the “Leading Practice Sustainable Development” Program developed 14 handbooks. This handbook acknowledges rehabilitation is the process used to repair the impacts of mining on the environment. The long-term objectives of rehabilitation can vary from simply converting an area to a safe and stable condition, to restoring the pre-mining conditions as closely as possible to support the future sustainability of the site.

Risk Management
Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Following consultation with the Australian mining industry and other interest groups on the key issues affecting sustainable development, the “Leading Practice Sustainable Development” Program developed 14 handbooks. This handbook acknowledges risk is an unavoidable consequence of mining operations and there is a business case to embrace a robust and comprehensive risk management approach. The mining and minerals processing industry faces several different types of risk including economic, environmental, social and regulatory risk.

Stewardship
Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Following consultation with the Australian mining industry and other interest groups on the key issues affecting sustainable development, the “Leading Practice Sustainable Development” Program developed 14 handbooks. This handbook acknowledges stewardship involves the care and management of a commodity through its life cycle. Stewardship needs to be an integrated program of actions aimed at ensuring that all materials, processes, goods and services are managed throughout the life cycle in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

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How To Manage Social and Environmental Risk for Oil, Gas And Mining
March 21 - 22, 2012
London, UK
The social and environmental risk management conference brings together CSR leaders in the extractives sector to share best practice strategies. A rundown of the key areas.
 
·         Enhance stakeholder engagement - Build long term relationships with local and indigenous communities using engagement techniques a CSR report alone cannot deliver.
·         Business case for human rights - Examine human rights performance in complex operations to prevent costly production stoppages.
·         Sustainable capacity building - Build long term capacity in areas of minimal regulatory and infrastructure development.
·         Go beyond the mine lifecycle - Decommission your operations sustainably and create a positive operational legacy.
·         Voluntary and legislative compliance mechanisms - Adapt to the recent changes and maintain your social and legal licence to operate.
·         Build capacity in challenging environments - Sustainable capacity building in areas of minimal regulatory and infrastructure development to secure consent through strong community investment initiatives.

 

Click here for event website.

Workshop on Community Investment in Francophone Africa
June 14 - 15, 2011
Dakar, Sénégal

As part of the knowledge sharing component of IFC’s Strategic Community Investment Program in Africa, the proposed regional workshop is designed to share IFC’s new business model on strategic community investment and newly developed tools to measure return on sustainability investments.

International Seminar on Social Responsibility in Mining, Santiago Chile, October 2011: Call for Papers
October 19 - 21, 2011
Santiago, Chile

International Seminar on Social Responsibility in Mining

Interested authors are invited to submit a 300-word abstract in English to srm@srmining.com. Abstracts must clearly state the objectives and describe a summary of the obtained results. Abstracts are to include a title and full details of the corresponding author. Abstracts are due by 21 January 2011.

Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development: the Challenges of Implementation
October 27 - 28, 2010
New York, USA

The shared goal of companies, host-country governments and civil society is an investment framework that promotes sustainable development and the mutual trust needed for long-term investments. The extractive industries face a special need for such trust, given the massive long-term investments that they undertake in poor and potentially unstable countries.

The purpose of this conference is to discuss and assess how past and ongoing initiatives to promote cooperative, transparent, equitable, and efficient FDI in the extractive industries have succeeded, how success is measured, and how success can be scaled up and better implemented in the future to achieve real development outcomes. It is time to take stock, ask the critical questions and build on what has been done in order to move forward with this more holistic approach to the problématique of implementing sustainable development in resource rich countries.

The conference will be a Davos-style discussion that will be forward looking and solution-oriented.

Mine Closure 2010
November 23 - 26, 2010
Santiago, Chile
Mine Closure 2010 will provide an outstanding opportunity for mining professionals to share their experiences, discuss the latest issues and attempt to answer the important questions on how to close mines in socio-economically and environmentally responsible ways.

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