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News Release
STATEMENT BY PROSPECTORS AND DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA REGARDING MEDIA REPORTS ON THE CANADIAN EXPLORATION AND MINING INDUSTRY
TORONTO, Canada (October 19, 2010)
– The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) today
issued the following statement regarding media reports on the Canadian
exploration and mining industry:
“In August 2009 the Prospectors and Developers
Association of Canada (PDAC) commissioned the Canadian Centre for the
Study of Resource Conflict to conduct an internal study on the public’s
perception of the Canadian exploration and mining industry’s corporate
social responsibility (CSR) record. The study was for internal industry
deliberation to inform its ongoing thinking on CSR.
The study deals with unproven allegations, not
proven violations.
The internal study suggests that Canadian
exploration and mining companies are alleged to be involved in
approximately 5 “incidents” per year, over the course of the study’s
10-year timeframe. This is consistent with the data collected and
published by the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman of the World Bank’s
International Finance Corporation.
To provide some perspective: Canada has 1,800
exploration and mining companies operating 10,000 projects in over 100
countries at any one time. Given this and the fact that Canada is the
headquarters of more than 75 per cent of the world’s mining and
exploration companies, the PDAC found the results encouraging but with
room for improvement.
As the study points out, Canada has one of the most
robust CSR regimes in the world. If any allegations against Canadian
exploration and mining companies have merit, the well-established
National OECD Contact Point in Canada acts as an independent mechanism
for people to lodge a complaint and establish the facts. Furthermore,
the Government of Canada’s new CSR regime for the mining and exploration
industry – which was informed by extensive industry and NGO
consultations – includes an independent Canadian CSR Counsellor, who is
empowered to investigate and mediate disputes.
While the internal study did provide some useful
information on the public’s perception on the industry’s CSR record, the
PDAC believes that many of the sources relied upon in the study were not
balanced.
The PDAC is concerned that this study will lead to
incorrect conclusions regarding the truth and substance of the
allegations contained in it. Recent media reports have demonstrated that
the full and complete story on the industry’s commitment to CSR –
including building schools, housing, roads, clean water, sanitation, and
local jobs in the communities in which they work – is not getting out.
Unfortunately, factual inaccuracies seem to be
driving the debate around this issue and C300, a Private Members’ Bill
that will have a significant negative impact on Canadian mining
companies and the jobs that they support in Canada and in the countries
in which they operate. In addition to the international standards
Canadian mining companies follow, Canada has put a CSR regime in place,
with an independent CSR Counsellor, and the industry looks forward to
continuing to work with the Office of the Counsellor on furthering
Canada’s CSR regime.
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About the PDAC:
The Prospectors and Developers
Association of Canada (PDAC) is a national association representing the
mineral exploration and development industry. Its 7,000 individual and
corporate members are involved in the exploration, discovery and
development of new mines and new wealth. The PDAC’s annual convention is
the world’s largest annual gathering of the mineral industry. PDAC 2011
will be held March 6-9 in Toronto.
Contact
information:
Tony Andrews, Executive Director
Prospectors and
Developers Association of Canada
647 409 1570 (cell)
Bernarda
Elizalde, Program Director, Sustainable Development
Prospectors and
Developers Association of Canada
647 241 6617 (cell)
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