The world’s second-largest mining group has decided to take a more interventionist approach with governments on human rights.
Anglo American says it has ‘the right and the responsibility’ to make its position known to governments, and will ‘not stand idly by if the human rights of a local community are being abused in the vicinity of our operations’.
Its response could include direct or private representations to the host government, ‘collaborating with peer group companies’, working with other governments and international bodies to influence the offenders, or ‘as a last resort, public criticism’. It also notes that in some countries ‘we may be able to exercise some influence as an investor’.
The pledge is made in Good Citizenship, a report that details Anglo American’s community work. The UK-listed company, which operates in Africa, Australia, Europe and North and South America, says that while the primary responsibility for upholding human rights lies with governments, ‘where it is within our power to do so we will seek to promote the observance of human rights in the countries where we operate’.
It will not assume a campaigning role. ‘We are not about to become public crusaders,’ Edward Bickham, Anglo American executive vice president told EP. ‘But equally we accept there is an expectation that we don’t just look the other way if people who have a connection with our business are being badly treated.’
Bickham described the stance as an ‘advanced codification’ of its position on human rights outlined in a set of global business principles earlier this year, but said it was in line with the company’s position on human rights in South Africa during the apartheid era.
‘Of course when one looks back you can say we could have done more, but compared with other leading companies in South Africa, we were a force for reform and progress. We were leading funders of the constitutional opposition under apartheid, major funders of black education initiatives, and we were the first large mining company to recognize black trade unions.’
Peter Frankental, who heads Amnesty International’s Business Group, said: ‘We welcome the trend for companies such as Anglo American to take up human rights issues with governments, so long as they realize that their main impact on human rights is through the effects of their own core operations. Advocacy with the authorities should not be a substitute for integrating human rights into all aspects of their project and product lifecycles.’
While criticized by pressure groups for the adverse effects of mine closures, the company has tried to ally itself to the CSR agenda over the past year (EP4, issue 2). It has begun work on a CSR report expected in 2004, and Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, the retired chair of Royal Dutch/Shell who sits on the board of the Global Reporting Initiative, is expected to become chairman of Anglo American this month.