Global Guide Quiz

Extracting Good Practices: A Guide for Governments and Partners to Integrate

Environment and Human Rights into the Governance of the Mining Sector 
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE

The Guide is a joint publication of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations
Development Programme. The Guide was produced under the joint Swedish EPA - UNDP Environmental Governance
Programme (EGP) for Sustainable Natural Resource Management. The lead author of the Guide is Margaret G.
Wachenfeld, Themis Research. This Quiz was developed by Margaret G. Wachenfeld.

Copyrights: @ United Nations Development Programme, UNDP 2018   Photo credits: Getty Images/iStock photo 
Question 1: Free Advice! 
There is a lot that has been written on mining governance from different angles –
about the “resource curse,” about mining and the environment, about mining and
conflict, and increasingly, mining and human rights. The key message is:  mining
governance is no longer about just the technical challenges or the revenue it
generates. Mining governance is about managing the sector for the benefit of all,
including local communities and future generations. That also means mining
governance has become more complex. The Guide provides concepts, tools and
resources to support governments and their partners to “see the bigger picture”
on mining governance. The Guide also highlights organisations that are set up to
provide expert support to governments.

Which two boxes in the Guide list organizations that can provide specialized technical
assistance on mining governance, policies, laws and contracting to your government,
potentially free of charge?
Select 2: (1 point for each right answer)
Box 1 Box 9
Box 4 Box 10
Box 6 Box 12
Question 2: So Many Initiatives!
There are lots of initiatives focused on the mining sector, and seemingly more all the time. Some
are organized by the industry itself, some are multi-stakeholder. These are relevant to
governance efforts as they tell us a lot about what industry, and its stakeholders, expects of the
mining sector. Governments can build on that in designing legislation, on interactions with
mining companies, in setting expectations for mining companies around community
engagement, etc.  

Where in the Guide do you find consolidated information on the many mining
sector initiatives for governments and companies? 
Select 1: (1 point)
ANNEX I ANNEX III NONE OF THESE
ANNEX II IN THE FOREWORD
Question 3: Transparency 
Transparency is clearly a growing theme in the mining sector.  For example, the Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) requires countries and companies to disclose
information on the key steps in the governance of mining revenues.  Corruption initiatives have
highlighted that increasing transparency can reduce risks in extractives licensing by ensuring
reputable investors and mitigating conflict of interest in the allocation of mining rights. 

Identify 2 approaches/tools highlighted in the Guide that can be used to increase

transparency in the sector & name at least one reason why transparency is important.
(1 point for each correct approach and 1 point for rationale)
Approach 1: Why important?

Approach 2: Why important?

Why important?

Question 4: Hard Choices

Large-scale mining can have a significant impact on the economy, the environment, and society.
In response to these concerns, the global community is demanding a paradigm shift in mining –
asking for big changes in the way the sector is governed.  Instead of considering only the
economic contribution of the sector, the global community is looking for a net positive
contribution from the mining sector across all three dimensions of sustainable development –
the economy and environment and society -- over the long term. In the interim, society is calling
for the protection of the environment and human rights as core minimum goals for the
governance of the sector. Thus there are a lot of competing uses and interests that must be
balanced.  These are hard choices. The essence of good governance is to build a system where
the public interest drives those choices.

Part I:  Which of the following tools highlighted in the Guide can governments use to make
informed decisions about balancing interests? (1 point for each you get correct)
Environmental impact assessment The Equator Principles Public Participation in
development of a mining
strategy
Integrated land use planning  Environmental-Economic Peri-urban development
Accounting   standards
 Part 2: Which of the following issues should be balanced? 
(1 point for each correct answer)

Impact on future generations Impacts on ecosystem services

Alternative use of the mining area  The economic viability of the mine
Indigenous peoples’ rights   The mining minister’s latest budget

Question 5: Benchmarking Tools

Mining policies and laws typically shape how mining is and is not carried out in the country.  As
we know, the IGF had a whole session on mining laws yesterday. Well-constructed mining laws
and policies should help balance interest and support a more sustainable approach to mining.
Poorly thought through mining policies and laws can discourage investment and lead to perverse
disincentives to comply with the law, particularly for artisanal and small-scale miners. Is the
mining policy in your country fit for purpose?

Part I: Which tools highlighted in the Guide that can be used to benchmark your country’s
mining policies and law? (1 point for each correct answer)
IGF Mining Policy Framework African Mining Vision 
Corporate Human Rights Benchmark Natural Resource Charter
World Bank Mineral Governance Framework Benchmarking Framework

Part II:  True or false? (1 point for each correct answer)

The country’s mining policy should be based on large-scale mining.

TRUE FALSE
Question 6: Investment Agreements
“New generation” investment policies and international investment and trade agreements place
inclusive growth and sustainable development at the heart of efforts to attract and benefit from
foreign direct investment (FDI) and aim to balance the rights and obligations of countries and
investors. Your Ministry of Trade is in the process of developing an investment agreement with
Australia that is home to many mining companies. You walk in the door to discuss the potential
terms with them. They are shocked! And quite confused about why the agreement should be
relevant to the mining and environmental authorities. You have come armed with a number of
arguments.  

True or false? (1 point for each correct answer)

Investment agreements can foreclose the possibility of enforcing environmental or human

rights laws against foreign investors.
TRUE FALSE
Most investment agreements are aligned with the SDGs. 
TRUE FALSE
Question 7: Mine Closure 
Mineral resources are non-renewable and all extractive projects come to an end, sometimes
much earlier than planned. This reality should be discussed widely and planned for from the
outset and updated throughout the mining cycle.   
Name 2 approaches and tools highlighted in the Guide that you can use to address mine
closure:

Highlight 2 key considerations in mine closure:

Question 8: Human Rights Impacts
While many of the environmental and landscape impacts of mining are very visible, there can be
significant impacts on local communities and their human rights that may not be as immediately
visible but are just as real.  For example, a mine is using and polluting the water local
communities rely on to water their crops or their livestock, some community members may have
been moved to make way for the mine, few locals may have gotten the longer-term jobs at the
mine site that they thought had been promised when the site was first being discussed. And if
you talk to people around the mine site, they may also feel that they are not being treated fairly –
or they may quietly tell you that they are concerned about their safety and the safety of their
family because they complained to the local mayor.  

Which rights are relevant to the scenario above?

(1 point for each correct answer – check all that apply)
Right to water Right to be treated fairly
Right to employment Right to health
Right to housing Right to freedom of expression
Right to an adequate standard of living Right to life and security of person

Question 9: Be the Mayor of the Day

You are the Mayor of a municipality where mining is taking place.  You have repeated complaints
about the same sets of issues over and over again from local communities. They complain in
particular of a lack of information about what is going on, no avenues to talk to the mining
company or the mining authorities and about the fact that nothing seems to change – no one has
addressed their complaints.  You, as the local mayor, are also a bit fed up with all the complaints
as you do not have much authority to address them. You have been considering different ways to
get the attention of the relevant authorities.  One of your bright, young new staff who just
finished a master’s degree in international studies has suggested that you remind the relevant
authorities about their obligations under international agreements the government has signed
and relevant international standards.  

What standards would you refer to? Check the relevant answers.
(1 point for each correct answer)
Principle 10 Escazú Regional Agreement
Aarhus Convention Environmental Democracy Index
Cartagena Protocol Sendai Framework
Question 10: Mining Licensing 
In many countries, the focus of permitting is compliance with a legal requirement, rather than on
integrating prevention into the management of the mining activity. Linked to this, participation is
not seen or used as a source of knowledge to help build preventive approaches but rather as a
step in the environmental or mining licensing. There are difficulties for communities to
understand the technical concepts and terms contained in EIA or feasibility processes and
reports so participation becomes very limited. As a result, communities do not see the lengthy
process of permitting and may see the decision of the authorities to authorize mining operations
as arbitrary.  

Identify a concept, tool, resource or explanation in the Guide that can help you make the
argument to your Minister about why the situation should be changed.
(1 point for each correct answer)

Provide an explanation about how it should be changed.

(1 point for each correct answer)