“Human Rights Risks in Mining – the Way Forward”

Experts of the Foundation and BGR present Baseline Study at world’s largest mining investment conference, Mining INDABA

Experts of the Foundation and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) have presented their comprehensive baseline study on “Human Rights Risks in Mining” during a side event hosted by the World Bank Group and the German Development Cooperation at the Mining INDABA conference in Cape Town, South Africa on February 9, 2016.

The comprehensive baseline study is the outcome of a research cooperation between the BGR and the Foundation, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, which combines the expertise on mining and international human rights law of the two institutions. In analysing mining in all of its forms from industrial and large-scale to small-scale and artisanal mining, over 150 case studies are being described from all parts of the world.

The side event was opened by a presentation of the study and was followed by a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Human Rights in Mining – the way forward’. The discussion brought together representatives from the industry (Richard Morgan, Anglo American), civil society (Shirhami Shirinda, Legal Resources Centre/ Human Rights Commission South Africa), development cooperation (Eduard Westreicher, German embassy/ South Africa) and academia (Carolyn Digby, Professor at University of the Witwatersrand/ Director Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry).

The baseline is available at www.bmz.de