Community Engagement
Community Engagement

Community Engagement

We are committed to establishing a meaningful, constructive and positive dialogue with local communities and listening to their voices and demands. This will help minimize or mitigate any risks that arise from our operational activities. We listen and respond to various stakeholders’ expectations and demands, and we resolve communities’ complaints and grievances in a lawful manner through transparent and open communication and grievance mechanisms.

Targets and Performance

Performance in 2023

  • 816
    Held 816 community meetings
  • 24,658
    Received 24,658 visits from stakeholders
  • 10,000
    More than 10,000 community members visited us

Community Engagement and Communication Framework

Zijin Mining’s Community Engagement and Communication Framework

  • Objective
    Step
    Content
  • Taking a holistic approach
    ldentify the affected communities and stakeholder groups.
    During the planning stage of a project, we conduct a social baseline survey to collect and understand the background information of the communities, including but not limited to geographical information, demographic information, political background, historical legacy issues, religions and cultural values. We also perform a social impact assessment to identify the social impact and potential risks of the project on the host region and identify the affected groups
  • Clear communication channels
    Provide the affected groups with access to relevant information.
    In the community engagement process, we share information with the local communities through various channels depending on the local environment and culture. This includes radio broadcasts, social media, websites, publications and a series of face-to-face meetings, for them to fully understand our efforts to mitigate the impact on the communities.
  • Establishing channels
    Listen to the views of the affected communities on the environmental and social impacts brought by our operations
    We develop risk mitigation plans and measures based on the concerns of the affected groups and the environmental and social risks that may arise from our operation. According to the results of the social impact assessment and feedback from the communities, we establish a community impact management database and update it regularly during the course of the project.
  • Effective implementation
    Integrate the views of the affected communities into the decision-making process of our operations
    We listen extensively to views and feedback from various stakeholders through communication and grievance mechanisms, and fully incorporate the voices of the communities, especially those from vulnerable groups (e.g. women, children and indigenous people), into the decision-making processes for project planning and community programs.
  • Monitoring and responding
    Set up a communication and grievance mechanism for the affected communities
    To ensure effective communication and engagement with the communities and stakeholders, we have set up community relations teams at all of our operational sites, which are staffed primarily by local employees. We also have a clear community communication and grievance mechanism to promptly understand and respond to the concerns of the communities.
  • Monitoring and responding
    Report progress to affected communities and stakeholder groups
    We require each project to regularly review the progress of community communication, assess the effectiveness of the community grievance mechanism and report improvements to stakeholders in a timely manner. This is aimed at forming a positive and effective two-way communication and feedback mechanism.

Grievance and Communication

In accordance with the criteria set in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for judging the effectiveness of grievance mechanisms, we regularly review the effectiveness of our communication and grievance mechanisms, make suggestions for improvement and report on progress to stakeholders in a timely manner. This is aimed at developing a positive and efficient two-way communication and feedback mechanism.

UNGPs Criteria for Evaluating Effectiveness of Grievance Mechanisms

  • Objective
    Step
  • Legitimate
    Enabling trust from the stakeholder groups for whose use they are intended, and being accountable for the fair conduct of grievance processes
  • Accessible
    Being known to all stakeholder groups for whose use they are intended, and providing adequate assistance for those who may face barriers to access
  • Predictable
    Providing a clear and open procedure with an indicative time frame for each stage, and clarity on the types of process and outcome available and means of monitoring implementation
  • Equitable
    Seeking to ensure that aggrieved parties have reasonable access to sources of information, advice, and expertise necessary, to engage in a grievance process on fair, informed and respectful terms
  • Transparent
    Keeping parties to a grievance informed about its progress, and providing sufficient information about the mechanism’s performance to build confidence in its effectiveness and meet any public interest at stake
  • Rights-compatible
    Ensuring that outcomes and remedies accord with internationally recognized human rights
  • A source of continuous learning
    Drawing on relevant measures to identify lessons for improving the mechanism and preventing future grievances and harms
  • Based on engagement and dialogue
    Consulting the stakeholder groups for whose use they are intended on their design and performance, and focusing on dialogue as the means to address and resolve grievances