How is Free, Prior and Informed

Consent (FPIC) Addressed by the IRMA

Standard for Responsible Mining?

September 2021

IRMA Community Toolkit

 What is
IRMA?

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IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

• IRMA is a coalition of NGOs, affected communities,

purchasers, investors, mining companies, and labor unions.
Each sector has equal voice in IRMA governance.

• IRMA is a high-bar standard to drive responsible mining,

defined through the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

• IRMA is a global organization managing IRMA standards and

the system for independent third-party audits against those
standards
 IRMA’s Vision:

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A world where the mining industry respects the

human rights and aspirations of affected
communities, provides safe, healthy and
supportive workplaces, minimizes harm to the
environment, and
leaves positive legacies
 The IRMA
Community
Toolkit

This is one of multiple modules in the IRMA community

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IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

toolkit created to help you better understand IRMA and

how it can be utilized to serve directly impacted
communities.
Access materials introducing IRMA and covering other
topics at https://responsiblemining.net/.
Leave feedback, suggest new tools and materials, or
request a presentation for your community at
[email protected].
 The IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining
Comprehensive coverage of mining issues in 26 chapters under four principles

Business Integrity Social Responsibility

§ Legal compliance § Labor rights
§ Stakeholder engagement § Worker health & safety
§ Stakeholder grievance § Community health and safety
mechanism § Conflict affected areas
§ Human rights due diligence
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§ Security arrangements
§ Revenue transparency / anti- § Cultural heritage protection
corruption
§ Artisanal and small-scale
mining (ASM)

Planning for Positive Environmental

Legacies Responsibility
§ Environmental and social § Water management
impact assessment and § Water (tailings) management
management
§ Air quality
§ Free, Prior and Informed
Consent § Greenhouse gases emissions
§ Community support and § Noise management
benefits § Biodiversity, ecosystem
§ Resettlement services, protected areas
§ Emergency preparedness § Cyanide management
and response § Mercury management
§ Planning and financing
reclamation and closure
 How is FPIC defined in the IRMA Mining
Standard?
Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC):
Consent based on:
• Engagement that is free from external manipulation,
coercion and intimidation;

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• Notification, sufficiently in advance of commencement

of any activities, that consent will be sought;
• Full disclosure of information regarding all aspects of a
proposed project or activity in a manner that is
accessible and understandable to the people whose
consent is being sought;
• Acknowledgment that the people whose consent is
being sought can approve or reject a project or activity,
and that the entities seeking consent will abide by the
decision.
 Circumstances New vs. Forms of
for Obtaining Existing Mines Evidence
FPIC

Mining-related IRMA will not Signed or

activities that certify a new mine otherwise
may affect unless it has verified
indigenous obtained FPIC agreements
How is FPIC peoples’ rights or from potentially In the absence
addressed in interests, affected of agreements,
the IRMA including: indigenous demonstrate an

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• impact on peoples.
IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

Standard for lands,

established
Existing mines process to
Responsible territories and must operate in a respond to past
Mining? resources manner that seeks and present
• physical to achieve FPIC community
relocation of Chapter objectives. concerns and to
people remedy and / or
• disruption of All mines must
obtain FPIC if compensate for
traditional past impacts
livelihoods proposed changes
• impact on may significantly
cultural change impacts to
heritage indigenous
peoples.
 Indigenous
Peoples and
IRMA Audits

Are Indigenous People involved in IRMA Audits?

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IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

• IRMA requires third-party auditors to announce audits in

advance so that stakeholders are aware of upcoming
audits; to conduct on-site audits at the mine site level;
and to interview rights holders, members of affected
communities, including Indigenous Peoples, and mine
workers.
What can I learn about a mine’s impact on Indigenous
communities from an IRMA audit?
• IRMA audit reports are public documents including over
100 pages of information about the mine site, including its
compliance with the FPIC Chapter.
 Key Elements
In the FPIC Chapter of the
IRMA Mining Standard

1 2 3

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Mines must If indigenous people Indigenous people

demonstrate that do not consent to the identify their rights
they have obtained mining activity, it and interests that can
the consent of should not proceed be affected by mining
indigenous people
This applies to new If indigenous peoples Mines should facilitate
mines and to existing are not open to discuss capacity building and
mines when changes to the mining activity or technical support to
the operation may have expressed that enable indigenous
result in new or they do not want it, the people to fully
increased impacts to company needs to participate in the FPIC
indigenous people. respect this decision. process.
 Key Elements
In the FPIC Chapter of the
IRMA Mining Standard

4 5 6

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Mines follow FPIC If consent is Engagement and

processes of acquired, the mine’s dialogue continue
indigenous people commitments are throughout the life of
monitored the mine

If no FPIC process or Indigenous people are FPIC is an ongoing

protocol exists, there involved in monitoring process, and all
may be mutual to ensure that relationships require
agreement on what commitments are met regular attention and
processes should be maintenance
followed
 • Mine Location: Zimapán, Mexico
• Commodities: Lead, zinc, copper
Case Study: • 8 neighboring communities: 120 audit participants
Carrizal Mine (49 women, 23 men, 58 did not identify)
• Communities reported that indigenous language
and culture are not common practice and many
communities no longer identify themselves as
indigenous

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Number of Relevant
Topics Covered Real Score
Requirements Requirements

Company policy 2 2 1

General requirements 4 0 0

FPIC initial assessment study 3 2 1

Determine process for FPIC 3 0 0

Implementation of the process for FPIC 3 0 0

Failure to obtain the consent of indigenous peoples 1 0 0

Implementation and ongoing participation 2 1 1

TOTAL 18 5 3
 Case Study:
Carrizal Mine

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IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

See full audit report and FPIC ratings at https://responsiblemining.net/.

 Some ways to use
IRMA as a tool
to support FPIC

• Ask a mine site to join IRMA and complete an IRMA third-

party audit

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IRMA COMMUNITY TOOLKIT

• Review and comment on the FPIC section of an existing

IRMA third-party audit (available at
https://responsiblemining.net/)
• Get on the IRMA Engagement Map to connect and share
information
• Work with a research NGO and/or academic institution to
compare your local laws against the IRMA FPIC Chapter
• Contact IRMA to organize a webinar or workshop for your
community: [email protected]
Contact us
[email protected]
https://responsiblemining.net/