5. Engage Host Communities and Other
Affected and Interested Parties
Objective:
To interact with
communities, indigenous people, organizations, groups and individuals on
the basis of respect, inclusion and meaningful participation.
Introduction
Developing and maintaining a positive, mutually beneficial relationship
with local communities, indigenous and tribal peoples
[1]
(if present) and other parties in the area of influence of an
exploration project (here generically referred to as stakeholders) based
on respect, transparency, consultation and participation is fundamental
to obtaining the social license that underpins the success of an
exploration project.
Experience has shown that, if there is active engagement with
stakeholders from the earliest stage of exploration and greater
accommodation of local concerns and community participation in decision
making, there is a concomitant decrease in the risk of social conflict.
For
any given project, there are often many stakeholders, ranging from those
directly affected or having the ability to exert influence on the
project to others only indirectly involved, and it will not be possible
for explorers to engage with all of them all the time.
The stakeholders to be engaged and the form, scope and intensity
of engagement will vary with local circumstances and the stage of
exploration. As such, the
character of engagement is context specific, dynamic in nature, and
requires constant monitoring and adjustment as exploration proceeds. In
practice, engagement can range from the provision of notification and
information, through consultation, to participation and an active role
in aspects of project planning and decision making.
Explorers should, therefore, develop and implement management practices
and programs for engagement that are appropriate for the local situation
and stage of exploration, with particular emphasis on the community or
communities within the immediate area of influence of any given
exploration project [2].
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