Indigenous people are often marginalized due to their economic, social, and legal status. Mining projects may threaten their environment-based lifestyles and offer few benefits.
The International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 7 provides guidance on protecting and promoting indigenous peoples’ rights from the adverse impacts associated with project development. We conduct baseline studies to understand traditional land uses and create sustainable development plans addressing issues such as employment, training, and environmental concerns. The indigenous consultation terms we negotiate are often unprecedented in the level of agreement reached.
We also carry out human rights impact assessments based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights to identify and mitigate threats to local people. By engaging with stakeholders to jointly solve problems, we respect community rights, promote mutual respect and credibility, and help developers obtain the social license to operate.
Services
- Consulting with indigenous and other groups affected by projects
- Baseline investigations of human rights in project areas
- Identifying rights violations
- Creating management plans to mitigate impacts on stakeholders
- Obtaining free, prior, and informed consent
- Monitoring and evaluating management processes
- Preparing grievance procedures and disclosure documents for stakeholders
- Training project staff in successful stakeholder engagement
