Corporate

Responsible Mining Charter

PREAMBLE

Orea Mining has become a leading gold exploration and development company in the Guiana Shield and aims to develop projects that are economically viable, socially responsible, environmentally sound, mindful of human health, legally compliant and that contribute to sustainable development. 

Orea Mining is a firm believer that the viability of a mining project is contingent on its positive impact, throughout its life cycle, and with this charter it intends to formalize its commitment to developing responsible mining projects that meet the expectations of stakeholders in the region.

In our view, a responsible mine is based on: 

  • mobilizing technological innovation and state-of-the-art techniques in gold exploration and development;
  • transparency and openness to allow a meaningful dialogue with stakeholders (Government, communities, economic actors, NGOs, researchers, etc.) in order to identify and more effectively consider economic, environmental, social and corporate governance concerns and expectations;
  • effective implementation of measures for preventing and mitigating risks that could impact on the environment, health, safety and fundamental rights of workers and communities;
  • continuously striving to optimize our positive impact on the development of the region and its communities;
  • complying with stringent ethics and governance laws and standards.

Orea Mining supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) established by the United Nations Organisation, especially the following targets for 2030, which aim to:

“ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology …” (SDG 1.4)

“improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally” (SDG 6.3)

“take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour (…) and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms” (SDG 8.7).

“upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities” (SDG 9.4)

Preventing risks, optimizing positive impact and clearly communicating about goals and results, in our opinion, instill trust and can help achieve SDGs that guide how we operate our business.

By adopting this charter, Orea Mining is committed to a continuous improvement approach with a view to implement all reasonable and appropriate measures to maximize the positive impact of its activities on its entire value chain.

The commitments set out in this charter form the principles that any business partners will be required to comply with. Any reported contravention with this charter may result in appropriate disciplinary actions, in accordance with applicable laws and internal policies of Orea Mining. 

OUR COMMITMENTS

Compliance with International Standards

Orea Mining management is committed to maintaining high conduct and ethics standards as well as implementing strict practices and procedures with regard to the environment, health, security and fundamental rights of workers and communities at each stage of a mining project’s life cycle.

Internal control initiatives are developed and implemented so as to ensure that the following compliance requirements and industry standards are met:

General Standards, Principles and Guidelines

  • Guidelines of the ISO 26000 Standard on Social Responsibility
  • The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 
  • The guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to measure economic, environmental and social performance and generate reports in this regard
  • The International Financial Corporation’s (IFC) performance standards on environmental and social sustainability

Standards, Principles and Guidelines Specific to the Extractive Sector

  • Standards of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)
  • Principles of the International Council on Mining Metals (ICMM)
  • The Principles for Responsible Investment 
  • The UNICEM charter (Charte Environnement de l’Union Nationale des Industries de Carrières et Matériaux de Construction)
  • The notions of the Alliance des minerais, minéraux et métaux (A3M)
  • The EITI Standard of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

OUR KEY FOCUS AREAS

Orea Mining has already adopted a Code of Conduct that addresses issues including health and safety, diversity, inclusion and fight against corruption, and any breach thereof may be anonymously reported by applying the company’s Whistleblower Policy. 

In response to continuously changing norms and societal expectations regarding mining activities, the gradual integration of a responsible mining procedure requires developing monitoring processes that go beyond the activities of Orea Mining and include our relations with suppliers and the communities. 

In this context, our analysis has allowed us to identify two main types of commitments to support our objective of developing responsible mines for the purpose of both reducing the negative externalities and maximizing the positive impact of our activities:

1. Socially Responsible Management of the Mine 

To carry out its responsible mining projects, Orea Mining is vigilant with regard to be reasonably vigilant with regard to its partners, suppliers and subcontractors, especially in the following areas:

  • Health and Safety - protecting employees and surrounding communities by developing a health and safety policy that includes providing the appropriate equipment, regular security training and implementing reporting systems for accidents and diseases;  
  • Fair and Equitable Compensation - fairly compensating employees who hold positions created by the company to contribute to access to decent living conditions; in particular, this involves complying with local laws regarding minimum wage, paying wages that reflect the number of hours actually worked, ensuring pay equity and paying wages regularly and in a timely manner;
  • Sustainable Environmental Management - the continuous search for the most efficient technological solutions in terms of preventing and mitigating the environmental impact of mining activities, in particular with regard to release of contaminants into the environment, harm to biodiversity, noise pollution, air quality, waste management as well as access to drinking water and natural resources;
  • Forced Labour and Child Labour - prohibiting the use of any forced or illegal labour, compliance with local laws regarding the minimum age of employment, prohibiting the hiring of children under 15 years of age and young people under 18 years of age for any type of work that is dangerous and signing an employment contract setting out the details of the position;
  • Prohibiting any Type of Harassment and Discrimination - ensuring that all collaborators have equal chances and opportunities at work by treating everyone with integrity, respect and without discrimination based on sex, race, colour, beliefs, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, pregnancy, state of health or physical incapacity;
  • Land Issues - designing and developing projects with a reduced impact on land, and appropriate methods for displacement, resettlement and compensation for populations; 
  • Fiscal Transparency - strictly complying with the law, waiving any preferential tax regime; avoiding tax evasion; undertaking to pay all income and other taxes when owing and ensuring the transparency of all payments in accordance with the EITI Standard of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. 

2. A Positive Contribution to Society 

To carry out its responsible mining projects, Orea Mining is committed to a continuous improvement approach with a view to implement all reasonable and appropriate measures to maximize the positive impact of its activities by focusing on elements such as:

  • Social Dialogue - complying with regulations regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining rights by establishing a dialogue with our employees and methods for sharing information on a regular basis with local communities directly affected by our activities;
  • Local Training and Employment - supporting local development by disseminating knowledge to promote the creation of employment opportunities for local populations, especially among young people;
  • Buy Local - contributing to the development of the local economy by relying as much as possible on goods and services provided by economic actors in the region;
  • Regional Pooling of Resources - identifying potential alliances and collaborative initiatives with stakeholders, including other industry and economic actors in the region, with a view to ensuring the appropriate pooling of resources to contribute to regional development.