De-Risking with Dignity: Why Responsible Mineral Sourcing Starts with Inclusive Due Diligence

De-Risking Investments Along Critical Mineral Supply Chains anchored in strengthening due diligence to foster responsible sourcing of minerals was a key take away from OECD, a call for corporations, organisations, stakeholders to rise to the occasion and recognise the impact of mining on ingenious groups mostly comprising ASM and Marginalised groups. With the growing numbers of commodity traders/organisations in ASM there is need to hold these traders/organisations accountable to fostering responsible mining practices in the areas where they conduct trade.

With 3% of mining sites having women involvement in mining, due - diligence mechanisms should be designed with a gender lens or deliberate policies addressing issues that directly affect the women and other vulnerable groups? Issues such as children in mining sites should not be addressed with a “silver cullet approach” prohibiting the presence of children rather tailor solutions to address the reason why women in the first are forced to carry women to mining sites.

OECD tabled discussions around deliberate gender inclusion in due diligence as a step in the direction of designing responsible mineral supply chains. This would ensure Strengthening Local Voices in Mining and uplift Indigenous Peoples in Mining Regions.

AGC discussed its work in Zambia particularly in a village known as Matipa, in Chisamba district of central province where 70% of the mining site included children from ages as low as barely three months working along side mothers in the sites. Meaningful conversations sparked around this discussion on who holds the responsibility to change the status quo. As long as poverty remains a driving factor of artisanal mining, ASM will not meet the guideline of traceability and responsible mining to foster responsible sourcing.

The call to action remains on corporations, commodity traders to take up the mantle and develop the mining communities in which they source minerals and de – risk their investments through deliberate and inclusive due – diligence mechanisms anchored with support in improving the state of ASM.