Statement on Legal Proceeding
November 25, 2022
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Barrick Gold Corporation (‘Barrick’) is aware that on November 23, 2022, a legal proceeding was commenced against it in the Province of Ontario (Canada) on behalf of individuals in Tanzania. The claims asserted by those individuals pertain to alleged actions of the Tanzanian Police at or in the vicinity of the North Mara Mine.
Respect for human rights is a foundational value at Barrick. We have zero tolerance for human rights violations. Our commitment to respect human rights is enshrined in our Human Rights Policy, and is informed by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Our Human Rights Policy was developed with assistance from leading experts in Canada, the United States and elsewhere.
We therefore take seriously allegations contained in the Claim that has now commenced.
We are troubled, however, by many significant inaccuracies upon which the Claim is premised. These include the suggestion in the Claim that Barrick somehow controls the Tanzanian Police Force, or even worse that “Barrick’s security strategy for the North Mara Mine effectively converts the Tanzanian Police assigned to operate in and around the mine …. into a private and heavily armed security force for the mine”. These contentions are simply wrong.
To be clear, the North Mara mine is owned and operated by North Mara Gold Mine Limited (‘NMGML’), which is an indirect subsidiary of Barrick. No police officers are now or have ever been employed by NMGML. Moreover, neither Barrick nor NMGML exercises authority or control over the Tanzanian Police. Instead, the Tanzanian Police are an institution of the State, created and governed by Tanzanian legislation as well as the Country’s Constitution. The Tanzanian Police operate under their own chain of command and make their own strategic and operational decisions. They most assuredly have not been converted into a private security force. Nor are the Tanzanian Police “Mine Police”, as the Statement of Claim incorrectly asserts.
There is no substance to the allegation of the Plaintiffs that NMGML — let alone Barrick — are somehow legally responsible for alleged actions of the Tanzanian Police.
Barrick is troubled by the apparent involvement in this Claim of Rights and Accountability in Development (‘RAID’), a UK based organization that has been rebuked by more than 20 leaders of local communities in the area of the North Mara Gold Mine for making unfounded allegations of human rights abuses. Although Barrick has invited RAID repeatedly to meet at the Mine Site in Tanzania with leaders of NMGML and of the local community, RAID has so far failed to do so. We continue to maintain an open invitation for them to visit the North Mara Gold Mine.
Barrick looks forward to defending itself against the meritless allegations that lie at the heart of the Claim, at the appropriate time and in the appropriate forum.
In the meantime, Barrick and its subsidiaries remain committed to conducting mining operations in a sustainable and responsible fashion. Our social licence to operate has always been — and always will be — of the utmost importance to us.
Contact:
Barrick Investor and Media Relations
Kathy du Plessis
+44 20 7557 7738
Email: barrick@dpapr.com