Mine Security
Human rights and use of force training are front and center in our dealings with public and private security providers.
We follow the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) in our dealings with public and private security providers, local communities and potential victims of human rights violations. The VPs require us to embed human rights principles in contractual requirements with security providers. We require security personnel at our sites to undergo a pre-employment screening that includes a criminal background check. Contractor security personnel must also provide a proof of background check when assigned to the site.
Security personnel also receive specific training on human rights, the VPs and Barrick’s Use of Force Procedure, which is aligned with the United Nations Guidelines for the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. Our mines in Zambia, Peru, DRC, Côte d’Ivoire and the Dominican Republic have memoranda of understandings in place with public security agencies, all of which reflect the terms of the VPs. The Porgera Joint Venture and the North Mara gold mine have a Memorandum of Understanding with local police forces in Papua New Guinea and Tanzania respectively, which also reflects the terms of the VPs.
The General Managers of each mine are responsible for ensuring that our security operating procedures are followed.
In 2019 independent third-party consultant, Avanzar LLC, conducted a desktop assessment against VP requirements for our Veladero mine in Argentina. Our African mines will complete a self-assessment against the VPs in the first half of 2020 and our plan is to start to carry out independent third-party assessments of these sites against the VPs later in 2020.
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