PJSC Polyus welcomes the publication of the Russian edition of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)’s guidance ‘Handling and Resolving Local Level Concerns and Grievances: Human Rights in the Minng and Metals Sector’. As an ICMM member and close partner of the ICMM, Polyus was delighted to provide the official Russian translation of the guidance.
The guidance includes the eight effectiveness criteria for operational-level grievance mechanisms as set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the international standard for business and human rights. It also shares guidance on how mining and metals companies should design effective mechanisms to systematically handle and resolve community concerns or grievances and provides practical tools to support companies with implementation. ICMM first published the guidance in English in 2009 and it was subsequently updated in 2019, with the first Russian translation published this year.
As a longstanding ICMM company member, Polyus recognises the importance of undertaking meaningful stakeholder engagement and is committed to implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights through ICMM’s Mining Principles. To implement this commitment in 2021, the Company has undertaken Human Rights Due Diligence, followed by Action Plan that is currently under development.
Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of ICMM said:"Accountability, transparency, and open channels for dialogue are all fundamental elements of successful company interactions with local communities. Grievance mechanisms are an effective way of supporting this, helping to diffuse potential issues before they arise and to build trust between communities and companies. Both the English and Spanish editions of this guidance are already being used by our members, and I am pleased to add the Russian edition to this important group of resources."
Daria Grigorieva, Director, Sustainability of PJSC Polyus, commented:"We were delighted to support the production of the Russian edition of ICMM’s guidance. Respecting human rights and complying with the highest ethical standards are fundamental to Polyus’ business approach. As an ICMM member, we are committed to implementing and sharing best industry practices. Ensuring documents such as the grievance mechanism are available in local languages is crucial to help reach a wider sector audience and raise the ESG standards of the global mining community."
The document is available on ICMM official website.