Response to the OHCHR

Response to the OHCHR

January 30, 2026

[Below is the full text of Barrick's response, dated January 26, 2026.]

Dear Ms. Donati and Members of the Working Groups:

Barrick Mining Corporation (Barrick) is submitting this letter in response to your Joint Communication dated 1 December 2025, which raised concerns regarding the Reko Diq project.

The Joint Communication contains allegations of human rights violations and abuses at Reko Diq. We take these allegations very seriously and appreciate the important work you and the Members of the Working Groups are engaged in Pakistan and around the world. After careful review, we respectfully submit that the allegations are not substantiated by the project record, as outlined below. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify the facts and welcome the opportunity to engage with you and the Members of the Working Groups regarding the Reko Diq project more generally following your review of the responses below.

The process related to the reconstitution of the Reko Diq project was transparent and specifically took into account the interests of the people of Balochistan. As part of the reconstitution process, and in the years since, Barrick and Reko Diq Mining Company (Private) Limited (RDMC) have engaged in open, transparent and ongoing communications with all affected stakeholders, including local communities. Barrick is committed to responsible mining and sustainable development, and manages all of its operations, including Reko Diq, in a manner that prevents and mitigates environmental, cultural and social risks and impacts as identified through thorough and participatory due diligence. At all of our operations, we aim to provide long-term value to all stakeholders, including local communities, and the Reko Diq project is an excellent example of this.

Carrying out our business in a responsible and sustainable manner is a foundational value for Barrick, and we have zero tolerance for human rights violations at any of our projects or operations. We focus intently on ensuring that responsible and sustainable operational principles, including respect for human rights, are integrated into our business practices and decision-making processes.

Our commitment to respect human rights is codified in our Human Rights Policy and is informed by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the UNGPs), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the OECD Guidelines) and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (the VPs). Our commitment in this regard is further augmented and embedded across our business, including in our Social Performance Policy, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and our Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, among others. All of our subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the world, including RDMC, are required to abide by these policies, which are intended to give effect to our sustainability strategy. Copies of all of these policies are available on our website at: https://www.barrick.com/English/sustainability/reports-and-policies/default.aspx.

For detailed responses to the specific information requests included in the Joint Communication, please refer to the attached Appendix I. For ease of reference, we have reproduced each question from the Joint Communication followed by our response.

We trust that our responses help clarify the issues raised in the Joint Communication and provide the relevant factual and technical context. We would be pleased to engage directly with you on this matter to answer any further questions you may have after reviewing our responses.

Sincerely,

Mark Hill
Group COO and Interim President and CEO
Barrick Mining Corporation

Appendix I
Barrick Responses to Working Groups’ Requests from the Joint Communication

1) Please provide any additional information and/or comment(s) you may have on the above-mentioned allegations.

Barrick Response: Set out below are our detailed responses to the allegations raised in the Joint Communication. We have provided additional background on the Reko Diq project and address specific points raised in the referenced allegations. It must be reiterated that Reko Diq is a development project: that is, it is not yet an operating mine. It is expected, subject to the closing of project financing, that construction will take place over a three-year period, with first production targeted for the end of 2028.

Background on the Reko Diq Project

The Reko Diq project is located in north-west Pakistan in the Chagai District of Balochistan, bordered by Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. The region is arid and the terrain is desert, with sparse vegetation, extensive migrating sand dunes, rocky outcrops and no perennial surface water sources. There are no doorstep communities, with the nearest community being approximately 20 kilometres east with a population of approximately 600 people, and the nearest town being Nok Kundi located approximate 70 kilometres southeast.

Reko Diq is one of the world’s most valuable undeveloped copper-gold deposits. Despite its enormous potential, until recently the project had been on hold for more than a decade.

Between 2006 and 2011, a thorough feasibility study was undertaken and a national and provincial mining and environmental permitting process was completed by Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited, a joint venture between Barrick and its joint venture partner at the time, Antofagasta plc. In 2011, the project was expropriated illegally by Pakistan from the joint venture. The joint venture’s rights were ultimately upheld through a lengthy and exhaustive international arbitration conducted before both the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), an arm of the World Bank, and the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

The Reconstituted Project – A Negotiated Resolution and Transparent Process

Despite significant complications arising from the expropriation and ensuing litigation, Barrick has always believed in the potential of this world-class project and the mutual benefits that it will bring to all stakeholders, including long overdue socio-economic development and direct and indirect employment to community members in the region of the project for generations to come. As a result, throughout the arbitration, including following the issue of a multi-billion dollar award by the ICSID tribunal, Barrick made clear that it was willing to engage with the Governments of Pakistan and Balochistan to explore a negotiated settlement that would allow the project to proceed.

Barrick’s engagement with the Governments of Pakistan and Balochistan resulted in a rigorous negotiation process that spanned multiple years and involved Government officials and elected representatives from the federal Government of Pakistan and the provincial Government of Balochistan. Throughout this exhaustive process, both Governments were represented by leading international financial, legal and technical advisors.

This process ultimately led to the reconstitution of the project in December 2022. Under the terms agreed, the reconstituted Reko Diq project is a true partnership, with Barrick on the one hand and Pakistan stakeholders on the other hand as equal 50% owners. The Province of Balochistan was granted a 25% ownership interest in the project, including a 10% free carried interest. The remaining 25% ownership is held by Pakistani state-owned entities.

The definitive agreements for the reconstitution were tabled and debated in five weeks of open, transparent, highly publicized and well-attended hearings before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court of Pakistan ultimately issued a ruling strongly endorsing the reconstitution of the project as being entirely lawful and in the best interests of Pakistan and Balochistan. The Court found:

Please see the Judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan entitled Reference by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan under Article 186 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 dated December 9, 2022, a copy of which is available online at: https://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/downloads_judgements/reference._2_2022.pdf.

In addition to these open and transparent hearings before the highest Court in Pakistan, the legalization process included new legislation and orders providing for the reconstitution of the project passed by the federal Parliament of Pakistan and by two of Pakistan’s provincial Legislatures, including the Legislature of Balochistan.

We note also that the definitive agreements set out extensive commitments made by Barrick to operate in accordance with applicable laws and good international industry practices and standards and to provide specific benefits to Balochistan and Pakistan over the life of the project. Among other things, the definitive agreements contain a number of human rights and social development commitments. For example, social development projects and initiatives are to be determined on the basis of community needs and priorities as determined by Community Development Committees (CDCs) – a model successfully implemented at Barrick’s operations around the world. In addition, a community grievance mechanism was required to be established in accordance with the IFC Performance Standards and the UNGPs. As discussed further below, these CDCs and grievance mechanism are operational at Reko Diq.

Simply put, in reconstituting the Reko Diq project after years of arbitration, Barrick undertook an entirely appropriate and transparent process.

Importantly the reconstitution created the legal environment for RDMC to commence with the permitting process through the development of a participatory and independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), as required by Pakistan law. The reconstitution did not bypass any required local or national permitting requirements.

Comprehensive and Transparent ESIA Process

Stakeholder engagement and establishing relationships with our stakeholders is a fundamental principle for Barrick. At Reko Diq we have engaged in open, transparent and ongoing communications with all stakeholders, including representatives of local communities in the area of the project. This process continues to this day, and will continue for the duration of the project. In particular, following the reconstitution, a comprehensive ESIA was undertaken over a period of two-and-a-half years by independent experts, under peer review, and in consultation with local communities, environmental groups, and government stakeholders. Our response to Item 4 below provides further detail on our consultation processes.

The Joint Communication raises concerns regarding the ESIA, including suggestions that it may not fully comply with procedural requirements under Balochistan law. We would like to assure you that this is not the case, as explained in detail below. In fact, it was a requirement of the definitive agreements for the reconstitution that an ESIA be prepared not only in compliance with applicable local laws, but in accordance with international mining standards and in consultation with affected communities in the vicinity of the project. As a result, the project’s ESIA was prepared to meet the regulatory requirements of the Balochistan Environmental Protection Act, 2012 and Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, and was also undertaken in compliance with the IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability (2012), the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, the Equator Principles, and the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management. The ESIA was officially approved by the relevant governmental authorities in 2025, and Environment Permits were granted by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency on February 27, 2025, and the Balochistan Environmental Protection Agency on March 10, 2025.

A copy of the ESIA, including written and audio executive summaries in Balochi and Urdu, is available on our Reko Diq webpage here: https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/reko-diq/environment/default.aspx.

Potential Impacts on Water, the Environment and Livelihoods

The Joint Communication expresses concerns about the potential impacts of the Reko Diq project on water resources, the environment, and local communities’ livelihoods. We take these concerns seriously and, as outlined below, wish to provide clarifications based on the available data and our commitments to responsible practices. These impacts, and all other potential impacts, were identified and assessed in detail in the ESIA.

As noted above, and as detailed in the ESIA, the project is located in a remote region, with no doorstep communities. Socioeconomic studies conducted for the ESIA found there were no land-based, wage-based, or enterprise-based livelihoods that would be affected by Reko Diq’s activities. While some agricultural activities do occur in the broader region, these are in areas far from the project and will not be affected.

Barrick recognizes access to clean water as a fundamental human right. As described in more detail in the ESIA, the project will not exacerbate any water scarcity in Balochistan, nor will it deplete or contaminate groundwater sources currently used by communities. The proposed water source for the Reko Diq project is a sedimentary groundwater system to the northwest of the project. This system represents a small, and isolated part of a much larger basin with no communities, and no community water sources, located within the proposed system or its area of influence. In addition, and importantly, the water source is saline, challenging to access and is not suitable for human consumption or agricultural or industrial uses without significant treatment and abstraction infrastructure. Finally, regarding your concern about past and future possible cyanide contamination, we note that the Reko Diq project is not an operational mine and therefore there could not have been any activities involving cyanide to date, nor will cyanide be used in any of Reko Diq’s processes once the mine begins operating.

The Joint Communication presents concerns about the project’s planned use of a heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant. However, these concerns do not reflect Reko Diq’s substantial commitments to renewable energy and emissions reduction. Power for the project will be provided by a hybrid HFO and solar power (150 MW) system. The solar system will provide the project’s entire energy requirements during the day; however, the HFO plant is necessary to supplement the solar energy and support continuous operations, as the project area is not currently connected to nor serviced by the Pakistan national grid. In addition, the project has developed a transition plan which includes, among other strategies to reduce its carbon footprint, a key focus on connecting to the Pakistan national grid during the 2030s to enable the replacement of HFO. Feasibility studies are ongoing to determine the precise scope and timing for connection to the national grid, which will not only reduce potential greenhouse gas emissions, but also provide a significant socio-economic benefit in bringing power to the communities in Chagai District. None of this infrastructure development will be possible without Reko Diq.

The Joint Communication also contains information on emissions and air-quality impacts that is not consistent with the results of the ESIA and supporting technical analyses. While we acknowledge that the project will emit particulate matter, as detailed in the ESIA, the impacts are expected to remain within regulated limits with practically no change to baseline levels at community receptors. Despite this, RDMC will implement the mitigation measures identified in the ESIA and continue to monitor air quality.

Potential Impacts on Indigenous Peoples

Barrick’s commitment to recognizing the unique rights and social, economic and cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples and their distinct interests and concerns is set out in our Human Rights Policy and is informed by the International Council on Mining and Metals’ (ICMM) Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples and Mining. Barrick requires all sites with exposure to Indigenous Peoples to develop and implement an Indigenous Peoples Plan outlining specific actions to engage, address impacts and provide opportunities to Indigenous Peoples.

The allegations in the Joint Communication argue that the Baloch people meet the definition of Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge the importance of this discussion, and we emphasize that the ESIA process gave due and detailed consideration to cultural identity and community rights.

As mentioned above, the ESIA was undertaken by a consortium of independent local and international experts in their field, in compliance with the IFC Performance Standards, with their findings subject to independent peer review. The socio-economic studies included a specialized Indigenous Peoples Assessment, including review and input by Dr. Hafeez Ahmed Jamali, an independent expert on socio-cultural anthropology in Balochistan.

In line with IFC Performance Standard 7 on Indigenous Peoples, the determination of whether Indigenous Peoples are present is based on the characteristics set out in IFC policies. The specific project context then informs whether any such groups may be affected and, if so, how Performance Standard 7 requirements would apply.

This assessment was undertaken to determine whether Indigenous Peoples are present based on the characteristics outlined in IFC policies. This assessment does not seek to question or undermine broader social or cultural understandings of Indigenous identity at the national or community level. The outcome of this assessment indicated that IFC Performance Standard 7 does not apply to Reko Diq since the required characteristics were not encountered.

Although there are no Indigenous Peoples affected by the Reko Diq project, Barrick is nonetheless committed through stakeholder engagement to ensuring that all affected communities (including those that have been subject to political and social marginalization) are involved in the decision making and planning, as evidenced by the extensive consultations that have taken place.

RDMC’s Security Measures

We have taken note of the concerns you and the Working Groups have expressed regarding reprisals by Pakistani authorities against individuals that have opposed the Pakistani government generally or the Reko Diq project. To be clear, neither Barrick nor RDMC have had any involvement in any of the alleged incidents detailed in the Joint Communication.

RDMC has engaged a private contractor to provide security in the immediate vicinity of the project site. RDMC’s private contractors operate exclusively within a fenced-in area, and have not and will not provide any assistance to Pakistani or Baloch security forces or police outside this fenced-in project area. RDMC’s security strategy and agreements are based on good international industry practices and include commitments to uphold international human rights standards. Further, independent consultants have been retained by Barrick to provide training to security forces on human rights standards and, in particular, the VPs.

It is important to note that all of the alleged incidents referred to in the Joint Communication were in areas far from the project area – Gwadar, Quetta, Khudzar, Turbat and Dalbandin are each many hundreds of kilometers away from the project site, and to our knowledge none of these protests had anything to do with Reko Diq. Reko Diq’s security team does not have any presence in these areas.

As we are sure you will appreciate, neither Barrick nor RDMC have any control over incidents that may occur outside of the project area, let alone hundreds of kilometers away.

Reko Diq – A Model for Sustainable Development

The Joint Communication suggests that the Reko Diq project may marginalize Baloch communities. On the contrary, we are committed to promoting inclusion and shared benefits, as described further below. The Joint Communication further notes that Balochistan has faced systemic under-development. We could not agree more, and Barrick and RDMC are taking tangible steps to effect positive change through responsible mining and sustainable development.

The Reko Diq project will be a transformative project for the region. It is expected to be the largest foreign investment ever made in Pakistan and will bring very significant direct and indirect benefits to the region for decades to come. The project is a true partnership, with Balochistan holding a fully funded 25% equity interest – 15% of which is funded by the federal Government of Pakistan and 10% of which is a free-carried interest – entitling it to significant cash flows generated by the project over the course of its life, in addition to significant royalty, tax and other benefits.

In addition, RDMC has made significant financial commitments for direct investments in social development projects, focused on education, access to health care, water provision and environment and local economic development. As explained above, to facilitate this social development, three CDCs have been established, one for the communities of Humai, Mashki Chah, Nok Chah and Durban Chah, a second for Nok Kundi and a third which includes communities to the west of the Reko Diq project where the borefield for the project’s water supply will be constructed. The CDCs are comprised of community-selected representatives and are community-led advisory boards responsible for directing and determining community development investment in the project’s host communities.

Since 2023, Reko Diq has already distributed approximately [$250] million of economic value in country, including more than $10 million through the CDCs in community development projects that include infrastructure, equipment and human resources associated with education, healthcare, economic opportunities and potable water supply.

The impact of these investments is tangible. The first children in generations now have access to primary school, with enrolment equally split between boys and girls. In August of 2025, the newly commissioned Mothers and Children Unit at the Humai Health Centre (built and supported by Reko Diq) welcomed its first birth – a milestone for a community that previously did not have access to basic healthcare.

The project also will provide lasting employment benefits to the people of Balochistan by offering training and upskilling programs and creating thousands of jobs during the construction of the project. The project will also create an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 long-term jobs once the mine reaches commercial production. In addition, RDMC has committed to maximize the hiring, retention and training of Baloch people. This focus on local employment is consistent with Barrick’s approach at its operations worldwide where, wherever possible, we employ local people. In addition to these employment commitments, the project has also made commitments on local procurement, providing a further catalyst for local economies.

We are very proud of the commitments we have made to Balochistan and the transformative impact that the development of Reko Diq will bring to the region and its people for many years to come.

2) Please provide information on measures that your company has taken or plans to take to identify and/or respond to the human rights impacts caused by the above-mentioned project implementation.

Barrick Response: As noted above in our response to Item 1, all potential human rights impacts resulting from the development of the Reko Diq project have been considered as part of the ESIA, a copy of which is available here: https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/reko-diq/default.aspx.

Please refer to the ESIA as well as our response to Item 1 above for details on how we have identified, addressed and responded to specific human rights concerns regarding the development of Reko Diq. Our response to Item 3 below details our ongoing management of such concerns. More information is also available in the ESIA.

3) Please provide detailed information regarding the human rights due diligence policies and processes, and other measures, put in place by your company, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for potential and actual adverse human rights impacts caused, contributed to, or directly linked to your company’s activities. In particular, please provide specific information on whether heightened human rights due diligence (a concept explored by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights in its report titled “Business, human rights and conflict-affected regions: towards heightened action”, A/75/212) is exercised in high-risk operating environments.

Barrick Response: As explained above, our standalone Human Rights Policy is informed by of the UNGPs, the OECD Guidelines and the VPs. A copy of our Human Rights Policy is available on our webpage at: https://www.barrick.com/English/sustainability/reports-and-policies/default.aspx.

We have zero tolerance for human rights violations at any of our projects or operations. Barrick’s Human Rights Policy includes commitments to:

• Provide training on our human rights expectations to all new employees, all relevant existing employees and workforce or third-party actors with exposure to human rights risks.
• Conduct human rights due diligence where there is the potential for negative human rights impacts, and seek to employ reasonable measures to mitigate those impacts.
• Respect the history, culture and traditional ways of Indigenous Peoples, their standing as distinct, self-determining peoples with collective rights, and their interests in land, waters and the environment.
• Meaningfully engage with the local communities and other stakeholders affected by our operations to create and maintain transparent relationships built on mutual respect and trust.
• Establish and maintain a grievance mechanism for human rights complaints to be reported and addressed without any prejudice to the aggrieved person(s). We will report publicly on how complaints have been managed.
• Prevent, mitigate, and, where appropriate, remedy negative human rights impacts that are caused, or contributed to, by our company. In situations where we are linked to negative human rights impacts because of activities in our value chain, we will seek to use our leverage to prevent or mitigate those impacts.
• Comply, and demand that all suppliers and contractors comply with all national laws, the International Bill of Human Rights, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Core Conventions.
• Conduct periodic audits and reviews at different sites.

We ensure compliance with this policy through our Human Rights Program, which includes due diligence and heightened due diligence for high-risk or conflict-affected regions. This includes a range of internal and external engagements and risk assessments, including independent human rights assessments. Independent human rights assessments are undertaken on a rolling, risk-based cycle based on a country’s assessed risk, with those in high-risk jurisdictions subject to a two-year cycle. These independent human rights assessments are informed and align to the requirements of the UNGPs, ICMM Mining Principles and Human Rights Due Diligence, the VPs, the UN Declaration on Human Rights (UNHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of (CEDAW) Violence Against Women, the Core Conventions on the ILO and the Child Rights Conventions. The recommendations from the human rights assessments are tracked and reported on at a site level and throughout Barrick.

Reko Diq was subject to an independent human rights assessment in 2024 as part of Barrick’s Human Rights Program. This assessment was also used to establish a baseline and identify human rights risks as part of the project’s ESIA. The independent assessments will be undertaken every two years.

In addition, we note that financing for Phase 1 of Reko Diq is expected to be provided by a consortium of multilateral, export credit and import finance agencies with experience financing mining projects globally in accordance with the highest international human rights standards, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), both of which received a copy of the Joint Communication. We note that these agency lenders, aided by their own independent consultants, also completed extensive due diligence on all aspects of the project including technical, legal, financial, security, environmental and social. Among other things, the project’s ESIA and human rights impacts were thoroughly reviewed by the agency lenders to ensure alignment with the IFC Performance Standards and other good international industry practices and the participation of these agency lenders in the project financing represents a public endorsement of the project’s approach to these matters.

4) Please provide information about specific due diligence or impact assessments measures taken by your company concerning the operations of Barrick Gold Company in Pakistan. In particular, please highlight whether or how your company has conducted meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders. Please also indicate how your company tracks the effectiveness of its measures to prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts, including through meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders.

Barrick Response: As noted above in our response to Item 1, a comprehensive ESIA was undertaken over a period of two-and-a-half years by independent experts, under peer review, and in consultation with local communities, environmental groups, and government stakeholders. As described in response to Item 1 above, the ESIA was conducted in accordance with applicable law and in compliance with good international industry practices. Please also refer to Item 3 above, which outlines the due diligence undertaken in accordance with Barrick’s Human Rights Policy requirements and Barrick’s Human Rights program.

A key outcome of the ESIA included the development of an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). The ESMP includes all the mitigation and monitoring requirements for RDMC to implement, as a condition of its permitting and international lending requirements. Lastly, Barrick requires all sites to implement Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS). The ESMS provides the mechanisms for monitoring implementation of its environmental, social, safety and human rights obligations, including monitoring of their effectiveness. A Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) was developed for each phase of the Project and is incorporated into the ESMS.

As noted above, the project is located in a remote corner of Balochistan, with no doorstep communities. Despite this isolation and low population density, significant engagement has taken place.

RDMC has a dedicated community engagement and development department, staffed primarily with professionals from Balochistan. At the time of the ESIA, the team had conducted more than 500 consultations — both formal and informal — with every potentially affected community.

Beyond regular engagement, a formal public participation process was undertaken as part of the ESIA. The process, which took place between 2022 and 2024, included a roadshow, focus groups, workshops, public meetings, and gender-segregated discussions to ensure broad and culturally appropriate participation. The stakeholders identified included local communities, vulnerable groups such as women and young people, government institutions (including environmental regulators), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

As you can see, the ESIA consultation was well attended and participants largely expressed support for the development of the project. The main concerns and points of discussion raised included employment opportunities, socio-economic development (such as projects to support access to water, education and healthcare), the operation of the rail and potential for associated public safety risks, potential impacts to water sources, and the highlighting of vulnerable groups (such as women).

All engagements have been open to all stakeholders, and communities have been free to raise any questions and concerns that they may have. A grievance mechanism has also been made available, including through anonymous submissions. More details on the grievance mechanism are provided in our response to Item 7 below.

5) Please highlight the measures that your company is taking, or is considering taking, to ensure remediation and non-repetition of past alleged violations and abuses.

Barrick Response: Please refer to our response to Item 1 above for details on how we have identified, addressed and responded to specific human rights risks regarding the development of Reko Diq. Our response to Item 3 also details our ongoing management of such concerns. Contrary to the suggestion in the Joint Communication, we are not aware of any past violations or abuses associated with Reko Diq.

6) Please provide information on the policies your company has adopted or plans to adopt to ensure the protection of human rights defenders and groups that may be exposed to abuses and violations.

Barrick Response: Please refer to Item 3 above for information on Barrick’s Human Rights Policy and its application to Reko Diq. This Policy includes an explicit commitment to zero-tolerance of intimidation, threats, or reprisals against those who raise legitimate concerns including human rights defenders as well as:

• Community advocates;
• Workers and union representatives;
• Civil society organizations; and
• Journalists or researchers engaging on human rights matters.

These expectations apply across all operations and all elements of our value chain.

7) Please provide information on steps taken by your company to establish, implement and/or enforce operational-level grievance mechanisms, in line with the UN Guiding Principles, in order to address adverse human rights impacts caused by your company throughout its operations in Pakistan and globally.

Barrick Response: Every Barrick operation has a community grievance mechanism. These systems are designed to meet the IFC Performance Standards and the UNGPs, ensuring they are effective, transparent, accessible and responsive. We actively raise awareness about these mechanisms and they ensure grievances are formally recorded, fairly addressed and aimed to be resolved within 30 days. However, our focus is not just on closing grievances quicky – it is on resolving them transparently and fairly. Barrick believes that strong engagement and consultation processes, supported by structured grievance mechanisms, are core to maintaining trust and improving performance on the ground.

As noted in our response to Item 4 above, all engagements regarding the Reko Diq project have been open to all stakeholders, and communities have been free to raise any questions and concerns that they may have. The grievance process (including the ability to make anonymous submissions) has been communicated to community members through a number of forums and through general engagement and discussions. The abridged version of the RDMC grievance mechanisms, including the channels to raise and lodge grievances, is available on our website: https://s25.q4cdn.com/322814910/files/doc_downloads/reko_diq/Reko_Diq_Grievance_Me chanism.pdf.

The grievances received through the mechanism to date have predominantly related to job applications and employment processes.

For more information on our grievance mechanism at Reko Diq and the associated procedure, please refer to our website: https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/reko-diq/stakeholder-engagement/default.aspx.