Human RIghts IA and Extractive Industries - Session I, Presentation 6

HRIA: lessons from the field

"...looking for an omnibus, not a smorgasbord..."

"...box ticking prevails..."

 

HRIA methodology should:

• Use objective, liable data - emotional and political issue
• Be comprehensive - all rights
• Be transparent - analysis must be transparent about why your findings are what they are
• Listen to rights holders
• Clearly rate positive and negative impacts - untangle and show them both, can work in tension with each other

 

What value does HRIA add?

Came to this as a sceptic

 

Example: Green Resources, forest action project in Tanzania

• All public and internal documentation made it look excellent
• Ask workers the working conditions were poor
• Poor housing, sanitation and drinking water
• Done by NGO company reacted negatively
• Later company changed many aspects including pay.

Example: Paladin, uranium mine in Malawi

• Public criticism but had undocumented positive impacts
• HRIA helped improve processes further

 

Example: Dole

• HRIA showed positive impacts
• People laid off also had positive things to say.
• But some local communities do face traffic and increase in local prices.

 

Conclusion

• HRIA analyses things not picked up in other assessments.
• Can benefits businesses