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Human Rights

Respect for human rights is a foundational value at Barrick and a central part of our sustainability vision.

In This Section

2021 Highlights

43%

employees with collective bargaining agreementsAt December 31, 2021.

2,269

Public and private security personnel trained in Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

Training

Human rights training program updated and rolled out

Report

Standalone Human Rights Report published

We work across a diverse range of social, economic and political contexts, and are part of the fabric of society in the communities and countries in which we operate. We know our activities and the activities of those with whom we do business can both promote and negatively impact human rights. We acknowledge our responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to realizing human rights for people around the world.

We understand that our activities, and those of our business partners, can both positively and negatively impact our stakeholders. We strive to maximize the positive contribution to our stakeholders and to minimize or prevent any negative impacts. We do this by first setting high expectations and then disclosing our performance.

Human Rights Report

Management approach

Our commitment to respect human rights is codified in our standalone Human Rights Policy and informed by the expectations of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs), and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Management approach
Independent training in the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) is provided to both private and public security - Kibali, DRC.

Our Human Rights Policy sets out our clear expectation for all our employees and contractors to respect human rights in our daily work and recognize the equality and dignity of the people with whom we interact every day. We have zero tolerance for human rights violations wherever we operate. Our journey to meeting these commitments is rooted in a philosophy of continuous improvement and learning.

Our current Human Rights Policy establishes the fundamental premise of our approach to human rights. The Policy pays particular attention to potentially impacted stakeholders such as employees, contractors, and local communities and includes a commitment to respect the distinct nature of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and their relationship with the environment.

Human Rights Policy
Community investment to provide safe and clean water to communities - Pueblo Viejo, Dominican Republic.

Our commitment to respecting human rights is augmented through other policies that guide employee and contractor worker behavior including:

  • Code of Business Conduct and Ethics - describes how we ensure respect for internationally recognized human rights through our basic premise that all employees, suppliers, and contractors are expected to act with honesty, respect and integrity.
  • Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy - commits the company to operate ethically. Corruption can have a negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights and undermines the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governments, as well as their ability to uphold the rule of law.
  • Social Performance Policy - respect for human rights is considered essential to contribute to the social and economic development of our host countries and communities, and to foster respectful and constructive relationships with all of our stakeholders.

Our approach in practice

We take our responsibility to respect human rights seriously and empower each site to lead the identification and management of their impacts, with oversight provided at the regional, executive, and Board level.

Our approach in practice
Completion of the Human Rights and Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) training - Kibali, DRC.

We implement our Human Rights Policy on the ground via our Human Rights Program, which has five key facets:

  • Monitoring and reporting - We monitor for potential human rights incidents and aim to transparently report all incidents. We publicize our human rights commitments to local communities and other stakeholders and consult with them about their expectations around human rights.
  • Due diligence - Our mines conduct human rights assessments on at least a two-year cycle. In the first year, every operational mine conducts a self-assessment to evaluate the actual, potential and perceived human rights risks and impacts of the operation. In the second year, an independent human rights assessment program is conducted at mines identified to have medium and high exposure to human rights risks. In 2021, we carried out independent human rights assessments at our Kibali, Loulo-Gounkoto, and Pueblo Viejo mines.
  • Training - Our employees undergo training on our human rights expectations as part of their induction and annual refresher training. Additional and enhanced specialist human rights training is provided for employees at operations with higher human rights risks or in higher risk roles, including security personnel. In total during 2021, we trained more than 2,269 public and private security personnel on the VPs.
  • Suppliers - Human rights are an important part of the supplier onboarding process. All suppliers must commit to our Supplier Code of Ethics, which includes human rights provisions. We also conduct basic due diligence in a pre-qualification process, including for human rights issues, on all direct suppliers before contracting with them.
  • Disciplinary action and remedy - Any violation of our human rights policy leads to disciplinary action, including and up to termination of employment or contracts, depending on severity. If we discover any violation, we cooperate with the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies in prosecution efforts. We may also assist victims in seeking redress directly against perpetrators using internationally recognized channels.

Training and engagement

Our employees are responsible for our overall performance. To make sure we meet our human rights commitments, we provide continuous training. This helps ensure they know and understand how to integrate human rights into our day-to-day decision-making.

Induction

All our people, regardless of location or position, receive basic human rights training as part of their new starter induction through various training mechanisms, such as our online induction course covering our Business integrity and Ethics program and/or our inclassroom induction courses.

Continuous engagement

Further to our induction training, every employee with access to a computer receives an interactive online Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption, Human Rights and Reporting annual refresher training. To complement our online training, we provide participatory live or in-person training to identify those who may be more exposed to certain human rights risks and should therefore receive enhanced, in-person human rights training on an annual basis that allows for discussion and clarification of any concerns.

All Country Managers, regional Chief Operating Officers (COOs), mine General Managers as well as employees from the finance, supply chain, and human resources departments were trained during 2021 either live through video conference or in-person. In addition, during 2021, almost 950 public and private security personnel at our North Mara, Bulyanhulu, Kibali, Loulo-Gounkoto and Pueblo Viejo mines received in-depth training on the VPs.

The training, which was conducted by independent human rights specialists Avanzar includes potential human rights challenges that participants might encounter in the course of their job and need to resolve. These challenges spark conversation and open dialogue and reinforce learning. All our people are required to sign annual certifications stating that they are not aware of any potential unreported violations of our Human Rights Policy and agreeing to report any they may learn of. This also serves as a reminder of the importance of the program.

Supplier training and engagement

We regard our supplier and contractors as extensions of our operations. That means our policies and procedures are equally applicable to them. All our contractors’ employees working onsite must under go induction training in order to access the site.

We also provide ongoing vendor onboarding for those contractors that are classified as high-risk. We define high-risk vendors as those:

  • With contracts over $5 million or $500,000 (depending on the risk level of the jurisdiction);
  • Handling hazardous materials or part of highrisk industries;
  • From a high-risk country (as defined by the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index);
  • Sole sourced; or
  • That pose a high human rights risk.

Medium to low-risk contractors receive refresher onboarding every three years and may be required to undergo enhanced training. We share all major policy changes with contractors regardless of risk level.

Responsibility for the oversight and implementation of our Human Rights Program sits with our Group Sustainability Executive, with support from our SVP Business Assurance, Risk and Business Integrity and Ethics, as well as our Human Resources Executive.

At the site level, the Mine General Manager, security managers and the community relations team are responsible for the on-the-ground implementation of our Human Rights Program.

 

Our salient human rights issues

We prioritize the potential impacts of our operations on the rights of our stakeholders to ensure we are addressing what matters most.

We identify, assess and evaluate our salient issues through a wide range of internal assessments and external engagement processes. Our most important source of information is our stakeholders, particularly our local communities with whom we have built strong and lasting relationships grounded in a philosophy of transparency and continuous dialogue.

We also identify potential impacts to human rights through our site grievance mechanisms, hotline reports and internal monitoring and evaluation mechanisms including third-party human rights assessments, as well as internal and external audits.

Finally, we participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and industry associations such as the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), the WGC and the ICMM to broaden our understanding of where the risks for negative human rights impacts are most significant for mining companies.

Currently, we have identified the following salient issues:

  • Non-discrimination
  • Health & safety
  • Working conditions
  • Responsible resettlement
  • Security
  • Water use and management
  • Indigenous Peoples’ rights

 

Non-Discrimination in the Workplace

Mining is a typically maledominated industry and sexual harassment and gender-based violence and discrimination are salient risks for all mining companies.

Non-Discrimination in the Workplace

These events can occur in the workplace, the supply chain or in the communities where we operate.

We have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment. Our Human Rights Policy as well as Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Global Harassment Standard commit us to fair employment practices and to a workplace in which all people are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, political view, ethnicity, age, national or social origin, sexual orientation, or union membership.

Security

Since 2010, we have been a member of and followed the 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 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. Barrick employees do not carry firearms. Our mines in Zambia, Peru, DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Tanzania 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 has a memorandum of understanding with local police forces in Papua New Guinea, which also reflects the terms of the VPs.

A key focus of our human rights program in 2020 was to progress formal alignment of the legacy Randgold operations with the requirements of the VPs. During 2021, legacy Randgold operations of Loulo-Gounkoto and Kibali undertook an independent Human Rights assessments and enhanced Human Rights training. Tongon will undergo a similar assessment and training program in early 2022. In addition, Pueblo Viejo, North Mara and Bulyanhulu also undertook an independent Human Rights assessment and Human Rights training during 2021. From these assessments, action plans have developed for all operations reviewed to achieve conformance.

Performance

In 2021, we trained more than 2,269 public and private security personnel on the VPs.

During 2021, all employees who completed the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics online refresher training underwent updated training on human rights compliance as part of the course.

 

Supporting procedures

We have created a series of procedures to ensure implementation of the expectations outlined in the VPs standard:

  • The Arrest and Detention Procedure outlines how to carry out an arrest in a manner that complies with international human rights law and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.
  • Our Procedure for Managing Relationships and Agreements with Public Security (Police / Military) details how to best engage with public security to comply with the VPs, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption policies.
  • The Security Code of Conduct outlines the minimum standards for the treatment of others by private security personnel and sets standards for ethical and lawful behavior by all employees.
  • The Use of Force Procedure establishes the way force can be used by security personnel to comply with international standards and law.

Addressing our legacy issues

When Barrick and Randgold merged at the start of 2019, one of our priorities was to deal with a range of legacy issues which required additional attention, research and energy. Since then, the new management team and operational staff have worked tirelessly to ensure these legacy issues are satisfactorily resolved through review with fresh eyes and a new management approach.

Most issues have now been resolved. However, some have continued to negatively impact our reputation and social license to operate. The list below details some of the issues raised and the steps we have taken to resolve them. It also aims to provide the facts.

Some issues raised by the ESG ratings community include:

  • At the Porgera joint venture, concerns have been raised regarding the discharge of tailings in the Porgera river and lack of access to safe drinking water for local communities, as well as alleged human rights abuses by public and private security and insufficient remedy under the previous remedy framework.
  • At North Mara, allegations of use of excessive force and human rights violations by public and private security forces.
  • At Pascua-Lama, allegations of environmental harm.
  • At Veladero, allegations that repeated cyanide spills have negatively impacted community water and glaciers.

Barrick’s position on riverine tailings at Porgera

We use riverine tailings disposal methods at the Porgera Joint Venture (PJV). That means rather than depositing tailings in a TSF, the tailings and erodible rock are released into the nearby Porgera River. This is not our preferred method of tailings management. However, the area is prone to heavy rain and earthquakes, which means a traditional tailings impoundment would be at very high risk of collapse. Based on the risk profile, a riverine tailings system is currently the best tailings disposal solution for PJV as it poses the lowest risk to human health, local communities and the environment.

Barrick’s position on riverine tailings at Porgera
Macroinvertebrate and water quality assessment undertaken in preparation for the mine restart - Porgera, Papua New Guinea.

Naturally high sediment loads

As the Porgera River has a naturally high sediment load, it has never been a source of drinking water for local communities. But regardless of local water quality, we take care to ensure we are managing and minimizing the risks associated with riverine disposal.

That means that prior to discharge, tailings undergo a twostage treatment process to comply with stringent discharge criteria. This includes a series of chemical processes to destroy cyanide and raise the pH level of the water.

We have also built a tailings paste plant so that some of the tailings material can be used to produce cemented backfill for the underground workings. This has helped to reduce the amount of tailings material entering the river by approximately 13% since 2011.

Extensive and on-going monitoring

Further to this, PJV’s environmental permit requires extensive river monitoring and strict compliance with discharge and monitoring requirements. To do this, we work closely with an independent body, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) which is Australia’s national science agency, to monitor impacts on the river.

With CSIRO we also undertake extensive monitoring downstream of the mine. The monitoring program involves engagement and participation with the communities as well as local, provincial, and national governments. The results of the monitoring are made public in PJV’s Annual Environmental Report, which is independently reviewed by the CSIRO.

Results show that PJV complies with the environmental permits issued by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government and that overall, the condition of the environment is consistent with predictions made prior to operations commencing in 1990.

Studies undertaken during care and maintenance

PJV has been in temporary care and maintenance since April 2020 as we negotiate the terms for the reopening of the Porgera mine with the PNG government. That does not mean we have stopped our monitoring work – rather, we have taken the opportunity to undertake further studies and to fully comprehend PJV’s environmental impacts.

PJV is currently undertaking a comprehensive study of river system health to fully understand how the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the system have responded during care and maintenance. This study is scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Preliminary results indicate that since the operation was placed on care and maintenance, water and sediment quality has rapidly returned to pre-mine conditions.

Providing supplementary drinking water for the local communities

The Porgera Valley is remote and there is no government or municipal water supply for local communities. Naturally high sediment loads in the local river system mean that river water is not a significant source of drinking water for local communities.

Instead, rainwater is the main community water source. Since 2011, we have worked to harness high rainfalls to provide a reliable supplementary water source as part of our commitment to the local communities. We do this by building water tanks fed by water collected from local roof tops at centralized and easily accessible sites across the valley. The tanks have taps and we have trained locals on tank maintenance and hygiene at the collection and distribution points. Since 2011, a total of 151 water tanks have been installed to improve access to drinking water for local communities.

Reduction and elimination roadmaps going forward

As noted above, we would not ideally use riverine tailings at Porgera. As we work to restart the mine following approximately two years in care and maintenance, we are developing a tailings roadmap for the operation with a goal to further reduce or eliminate the amount of tailings deposited in the river with a view to ultimately stopping all deposition.

Alleged complicity with human rights violations at the PJV

Law and order is a persistent challenge in the Enga Province of PNG where the Porgera mine is located. Tribal conflict regularly occurs in Enga and can quickly turn violent. Since its establishment, the Porgera mine has had to manage large influxes of illegal miners attempting to access the mine. This poses significant safety and security concerns, and there have been allegations of human rights violations linked to local police and private security forces, including between 2008 and 2011, allegations of sexual abuse, use of excessive force and forced evictions.

Investigations and terminations

We take any and all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. When credible allegations of sexual assault by mine employees came to light in 2010, we conducted extensive inquiries and commissioned an independent investigation.

The process resulted in termination of employment for several employees who were implicated in, or were found to have knowledge of, sexual assaults. We also handed all relevant information over to the police and asked for a full criminal investigation.

Porgera remedy framework

Beyond our own investigation and co-operating with the police, we also worked with stakeholders to develop the Porgera Remedy Framework, a comprehensive program to compensate victims of sexual violence. The framework was launched in 2012, following 18 months of extensive consultation and research with leading national and international experts in human rights, and was one of the first processes developed under the United Nation’s Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework for Business and Human Rights.

The framework was open for more than two years and independently administered by highly qualified Papua New Guineans, including Dame Carol Kidu, a former parliamentarian and cabinet minister in PNG, and Ume Wainetti, the National Director of the PNG Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee. While open, more than 90% of women who filed eligible claims resolved them under the framework. The framework concluded in 2015 and 120 cases were resolved.

Fifteen additional cases were remedied outside the framework. Since the conclusion of the Porgera Remedy Framework, no further credible allegations have been received. However, any accusation received is treated seriously and thoroughly investigated with the appropriate authorities.

Going forward

Further to the above, we plan to use the planned restart of PJV as a chance to start afresh on this issue. Our commitments in this regard include installing a new management team at the mine. We will work to re-establish the community grievance mechanism in alignment with IFC and UNGP requirements. In addition, we will also continue to help individual victims raise their concerns. As part of our human rights program, independent human rights assessments will be undertaken, as well as regular training for public and private security forces on the VPs.

Allegations of violent conflict, sexual assaults and human rights violations at the North Mara mine

North Mara is in a remote part of Tanzania close to the Kenyan border. There has been significant in-migration to the area and the law enforcement capacity is limited. Civil unrest due to poverty has also been a problem in the area, and this has been recognized by the Tanzanian authorities. Since the mid-1990s, there have been allegations of human rights violations at North Mara linked to local police and private security forces. This includes allegations of sexual abuse and the use of excessive force.

Resolving allegations

In early 2020, a group of 10 claimants launched legal proceedings against North Mara Gold Mine Limited citing use of excessive force by Tanzanian police during the time the mine was operated by the former Acacia Mining plc (Acacia). Whilst following legal advice we believe that a private company, such as North Mara Gold Mine Limited, cannot be held accountable for the actions of a national police force, we take these legacy claims seriously and are committed to resolving them in an open and transparent manner. As part of our commitment to resolving these claims and rebuilding community trust, we have chosen not to challenge the jurisdiction of the English courts to hear these claims. This means they will be heard in the English court system rather than in the Tanzanian courts.

Restoring community relations

We have worked diligently to restore and rebuild the relationship with the local community. A key focal point of this work has been to ensure the local community meaningfully benefits from our presence. To do this, we have:

  • Established a CDC;
  • Engaged with the local community to explain our plans for the mine and our commitment to the community;
  • Worked to understand and detail the promises made by the previous owners and fulfill them;
  • Reviewed the relationship with the local police to establish clear boundaries. Police now only enter the mine site when requested by senior management to engage on criminal matters;
  • Replaced the international security provider with a local company. This means that the security team is part of the community and knows and understands their needs and concerns. It also provides further economic benefit to the community through the creation of jobs;
  • We also no longer store ammunition on site; and
  • Conducted training on the VPs, and undertaken a human rights impact assessment in January 2021.

As a result, the relationship between the mine and the community has improved.

We have also resolved several historic grievances, with the number of new grievances received each month steadily declining. As discussed above, we are currently party to ongoing litigation at the High Court of England and Wales regarding certain legacy incidents. We expect those proceedings to be heard by the courts in 2023.

Third Party Progress

In early 2022, at the request of one of our refiners, PAMP, third party observers undertook a follow up visit to North Mara. While the formal feedback report is still pending, the following observations were made:

  • Visible changes in the community with new houses and businesses;
  • Better relations with the community, with North Mara workers able to move freely;
  • Management is now addressing root causes of tension including land, and water management;
  • Establishment of accountability and clarity on roles and responsibilities including of other stakeholders;
  • I nvestment in resources, including water management, TSF and brine plant;
  • Reduction in use of force; and
  • Government involvement in resettlement and social investment decision-making.

Current focus

We are aware of allegations of force and personal injury against the Tanzania police in villages near to the North Mara gold mine which have taken place since we took operational control. As highlighted above, although we believe that North Mara Gold Mine Limited, as a private company, cannot be accountable for the actions of a national police force, we strive to use our position of influence to prevent and mitigate human rights risks near our operations. To that end, we have encouraged the affected parties and their representative NGO to come forward with evidence so that the allegations can be appropriately investigated. To date, no evidence has been provided.

Pascua-Lama

The Pascua-Lama project is in the Andes mountains and straddles the border between Chile and Argentina. Due to environmental concerns raised, the Chilean environmental authority (SMA) suspended site works on the Chilean side of the project in 2013 and ultimately issued an order in 2018 imposing sanctions and ordering closure of existing surface facilities.

Court ruling

In 2020, following a legal process, Chile’s Antofagasta Environmental Court upheld the closure order and sanctions imposed by Chile’s environmental regulator (the SMA) in 2018. We respect the court’s decision to uphold the injunction and we will not appeal the Environmental Court’s decision. As a result, the Chilean side of the project is being transitioned to closure. While the ruling found we were in breach of some conditions, it was also noted there was no irreparable environmental damage. As part of closure planning, we have completed a comprehensive review of the existing social and environmental obligations to ensure relevant commitments are addressed with local authorities and the community.

In October 2020, a group of local farmers challenged the Environmental Court’s decision. The challenge, which was brought before the Chilean Supreme Court, claims that the fines imposed by the SMA were inadequate, and seeks to require the SMA to issue additional and more severe sanctions against Barrick’s Chilean subsidiary that holds the Chilean portion of the Pascua-Lama project. The Chilean Supreme Court has accepted the appeal and the parties have presented their arguments on the merits. The decision of the Chilean Supreme Court is pending.

Historic operational incidents at Veladero

MAS, the joint venture company that operates the Veladero mine, remains subject to various regulatory proceedings related to historic operational incidents at Veladero’s Valley Leach Facility (VLF) occurring in March 2017, September 2016 and September 2015.

The only incident that resulted in an out-of-containment release of cyanide-bearing process solution at Veladero occurred in September 2015, when solution was released on a road next to the VLF. Although the September 2015 incident resulted in the release of cyanide-bearing process solution into a nearby waterway, environmental monitoring conducted by MAS and an independent third party has demonstrated that the incident posed no risk to human health at downstream communities. The last in-containment incident occurred in 2017, when a pipe ruptured within the VLF. Each of these incidents were reported to the authorities. Veladero has an extensive ground and surface water monitoring network on site, as well as immediately downstream and 100km further downstream. All data is regularly submitted to environmental, mining and water authorities. Veladero has also undertaken joint sampling with the municipal authorities and there are no elevated parameters, including cyanide, in any of our compliance points. Veladero does not operate in any demarcated area identified within the glacier inventory, and the incidents described above occurred downstream of any glaciers.

Improving access to water

Water in the High Andes has naturally high metal concentrations and therefore, potability fluctuates. To improve access to potable water, and as part of our commitment to our local communities, water infrastructure has been one of the key community development focuses at Veladero since 2019, and we have installed 11 water treatment plants across the El Jachal district. Some ratings agencies have misinterpreted that the construction of these water treatment plants were to treat mine impacted water which is not the case.

Building strong labour relations

We believe that paying fair wages and benefits, as well as reasonable working hours, is critical to the creation of a motivated and dedicated workforce, and we respect the right of our workers to join a union and to participate in collective bargaining without interference or fear of retaliation.

Management approach

Open and honest communication is at the heart of our approach to industrial relations. We utilize a range of communication channels to facilitate transparent two-way communication between our people (regardless of union member status) and management. Our Human Rights Policy commits us to upholding the International Labor Organization (ILO) Core ConventionsThe ILO Core Conventions are: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) (and its 2014 Protocol ), Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). and we seek to engage with trade unions in an honest and constructive way, and we expect the same of our contractors and business partners.

We encourage all of our senior executives, not just our Human Resources team, to be involved in key industrial relations discussions. Some of the ways we engage with our employees are:

  • Town hall meetings at each site;
  • Digital platforms, including the intranet and employee hotline; and
  • Trade union representation at quarterly meetings with senior management.

During 2020 and 2021, our engagement practices were adapted to conform with Covid-19 social distancing requirements, and this has continued into 2022.

We have collective bargaining / enterprise agreements (covering wages, benefits, and other employment terms) with unions. Approximately 43% of our employees are union members or have collective bargaining agreements in place.

We offer competitive and locally appropriate benefits that range from healthcare to interest-free loans. We follow a country-based approach to determining salary bands, compensation, and benefits, and we take care to ensure our workers make more than the national minimum wage in the countries or regions in which we operate.

Improving access to child care in rural Nevada

Shifts for mine workers typically tend to start very early in the morning, or end later in the evening, often well before or after school or kindergarten starts or ends.

In rural Nevada, access to reliable childcare has proved a challenge for many of our employees and was also starting to become a deterrent for attracting new talent and particularly women to our mines.

To address the issue, NGM has partnered with a local Boys and Girls Club and invested $3 million in the development of two new early learning centers in Spring Creek and Elko, and a Boys and Girls Club in Spring Creek. The centers will be licensed by the State of Nevada and will serve infants through to 5-year-olds. The Elko Center is projected to open in May 2022 and the Spring Creek Center in November 2022. The hours of care at both facilities will be extended from 4 am to 8 pm to accommodate the longer work schedules of mine employees.

The aim of the partnership is to not only provide top-rated childcare, but also deliver a comprehensive education and preschool program for the community and our workforce. The Boys and Girls Club Spring Creek facility expansion was the first project request presented to NGM through the Elko / Spring Creek / Carlin / Eureka CDC, one of five such committees set up in Nevada since the establishment of NGM.

The CDC’s aim is to ensure NGM is supporting local communities in meaningful ways, with long-term sustainability in mind, and this project is a good example of how we apply holistic and integrated thinking to simultaneously deliver community benefits and address our own human resourcing issues.

Training our talent

Talent retention and training

Our workforce is our most important asset, and ensuring it is highly skilled and well-trained is an essential part of our human resources strategy. Our policy is to constantly invest in training to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills of our employees to ensure we can meet our business and operational goals, both now and in the future.

Talent retention and training
Remote vehicle control - Kibali, DRC.

Our employee training programs are comprised of a range of approaches, tailored to local needs and to drive diversity across our workforce.

The approaches we deploy to deliver a skilled and diverse workforce include skills shadowing and on-the-job development, technical training for specific job functions, formal training and development programs and on-going educational opportunities through scholarships to universities, including acclaimed international universities and technical schools.

We also partner with universities to provide management and leadership development training to help prepare our next generation of leaders. These learning opportunities help our people feel engaged, valued, and empowered. This, in turn, helps us deliver on our strategic priorities across our regions and sites. We provide focused and accelerated career progression support, including meaningful stretch assignments, shadowing and mentorship opportunities, as well as global placement opportunities to foster a culture of continuous learning. We engage in detailed discussions around talent development and succession planning at all levels of our organization and provide constructive and regular feedback. We also maintain a comprehensive global database of employee skills and development plans to facilitate our annual talent reviews and succession planning across the company.

Our performance

More than 40,000 employees and contractors received a wide range of formal training during 2021. We also continued to focus on our internal and informal training programs including mentoring, shadow training and secondments to other Barrick sites. Not only does informal training deliver strong results, but it is also integral to our corporate culture. This helps us create strong relationships between staff at all levels, across departments and operations, reinforcing our ethos of ‘one team, one mission’.

Equally important is our retention strategy, and we use a range of tools to ensure our employees are engaged in their work. These vary by region and include:

  • Competitive base salaries - We aim to provide base salaries that are competitive relative to the local market peer group.
  • Incentive programs supporting our pay for performance philosophy - Depending on their role, employees may be eligible to participate in site production bonuses or other annual incentive plans. These programs are designed to reward safe production and cost management at our operations, while also recognizing and rewarding individual and collective performance.
  • Long-term incentive programs that support our ownership culture - We provide eligible employees with a stake in the future success of the company because our ownership culture is critical to who we are, how we work, and what we do at Barrick. Our longterm incentive plans are share-based so that we are personally invested in Barrick’s success and share the same objective of driving sustainable and responsible growth to create long-term value for our shareholders.
  • Engaging environment - We run several extracurricular activities to foster company pride, teamwork, and friendly competition between departments. These include football competitions, fun runs and cultural celebrations for Eid, Ramadan, Tabaski Day and Christmas.
  • Additional benefits - We offer a range of benefit programs across the company that are aligned with local market practice, such as:
    • A 24-month interest free loan to help our employees in Africa purchase motorbikes to commute to work.
    • We provide health care for employees and their immediate family members.
    • In Nevada, we are partnering with Boys and Girls Club to provide childcare for our employees. The childcare centers will open at 4am and close at 8pm, allowing for flexibility depending on the timing of shifts for our people.

Succession planning, planning for success

Our Board believes that talent management and succession planning are critical to Barrick’s continued success.

Succession planning, planning for success

Our robust succession planning process has been designed to develop key strategic and tactical opportunities for every region and global function, to help them strengthen their human capital plans for senior leadership and critical roles across the organization.

We approach leadership and talent development with the same rigor and discipline that we apply to our business strategy. Our approach is anchored in developing and promoting the right internal talent and hiring the right external talent, with an emphasis on local recruitment, for career opportunities across our global organization.

We want all of our employees to play an active role in the success of the business. To that end, we believe it is crucial we equip our people not only with the technical skills to fulfil their roles, but with the commercial knowledge and business acumen to run a large and complex organization.

We want our managers to understand how the decisions they make will affect the financial performance of their company.

To do this, we provide company-wide training programs to develop a foundation of technical and operational knowledge, as well as supervisory and management skills. We also have a best-in-class approach to developing financial acumen across the organization to help our people integrate financial and business needs into their everyday decision making. We also provide high potential employees the opportunity to enrol in management and executive development programs at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Canada and the United States, to build leadership skills and guide career advancement.

Our indigenous partners

Indigenous Peoples often have profound and cultural connections to their lands and waters. This can be tied to their physical, spiritual, cultural and economic well-being.

We operate in remote regions; some with a significant population of Indigenous Peoples. Due to their special relationship with the land and long history of marginalization, we recognize that additional consideration should be given to our engagement with Indigenous stakeholders to ensure the full respect of their rights.

Our indigenous partners
Our relationship with 10 Native American partner tribes focuses on mutual respect, engagement, inclusion and collaboration - NGM, USA.

Considering the values, needs and concerns of Indigenous Peoples in site activities is therefore fundamental to our partnership approach and the way we do business. Doing so can support the development of long term, mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples that are affected by our activities. Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples can contribute to more sustainable land management and a stable operating environment.

Management approach

Our 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 ICMM position statement to obtain free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.

Through the Policy, we commit to respect the history, culture and traditional ways of Indigenous Peoples, their standing as distinct, self-determining peoples with collective right, and their interests in land, waters and the environment.

We require 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.

 

Examples of our Indigenous partnerships

Donlin project, Alaska: Alaskan Native Communities

We have established friendship agreements with six native communities and key stakeholder organizations in the Yukon-Kushokwim (Y-K) region in Alaska. These friendship agreements with Donlin Gold continue to build long-term relationships and address specific needs for isolated native communities. Eighty percent of the direct hires at Donlin are native Alaskans.

Hemlo mine, Canada: Netmizaagimig, Netmizaagamig Nishnaabeg, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, and the Metis Nation of Ontario

We have established Socio-Economic Benefit Agreements and Cooperation Agreements and provided continued support to our Indigenous partners. We engage through open and transparent communication and provided financial support to communities during Covid-19 lockdowns.

Nevada Gold Mines, United States: Native American Tribes

During 2020, we established a Native American CDC, we also provided Covid-19 support through the provision of emergency food parcels and PPE. We have also continued to invest in education through the Newe-Numa Scholarship Fund.

Pascua-Lama project, Argentina / Chile: Diaguita Communities of the Huasco Alto

We do not have a formal agreement with the Diaguita Indigenous communities but have established mutually respectful relationships with these communities.

Training

To achieve our goal of zero tolerance for any infringement of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, we educate our employees about Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Our online human rights training includes a module specific to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and how to respect these rights.

There were no reported incidents or violations of rights involving Indigenous Peoples at any of our sites in 2021.

Culturally aware partnerships that work

Our goal is to foster genuine partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.

Our goal is to foster genuine partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.

One of the ways we do this is through the cultural awareness training we provide our people. The new training we provide at Hemlo and the Nevada Gold Mines Complex are good examples of what our cultural awareness program entails and our ambitions.

In Canada

In September 2021, 18 members of Hemlo’s senior leadership team as well as contractors from Barminco and Manroc attended training at the traditional Turtle Lodge in the community of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg. Representing the community were three community members and one Elder.

The day was filled with productive discussions that provided details about the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, life for the First Nations before and after contact with European settlers, as well as the effects of resource development on First Nations communities and an overview of truth and reconciliation processes undertaken in Canada, and what they mean for the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg.

In the United States

With mine sites located on or around traditionally inhabited lands of the Western Shoshone, Northern Paiute and Goshute peoples, cultural awareness training is a priority for both our partnering communities and NGM.

With mine sites located on or around traditionally inhabited lands of the Western Shoshone, Northern Paiute and Goshute peoples, cultural awareness training is a priority for both our partnering communities and NGM.
Cultural awareness training - NGM, USA.

As a result, in 2021, NGM produced an informational video and interactive training in collaboration with our 10 partner Tribes. The training highlights the history of the Native American people in the area, the background of the Native American Affairs team at NGM and the challenges Native Americans have historically faced. NGM’s policies and procedures information on the discovery of cultural artifacts was also included. All salaried NGM employees are required to complete the training. This ensures the workforce is equipped with critical knowledge regarding Native American people and their way of life. The training video is publicly available and can be viewed on our NGM website at www.nevadagoldmines.com.

Our mission to be a responsible steward of the environment and committed partner is reinforced by the transparent and trust-based relationship we have developed with the 10 Tribes, which includes involving them in, and apprising them of, discussions about each mine as it evolves.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

We know a diverse workforce is a better workforce, and that diversity provides the wide range of thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to run a global company, as well as a deeper talent pool from which to select. We also know that diversity and inclusion are essential for a modern mining business and it plays a critical role as part of our mission to transform natural resources into sustainable benefits and mutual prosperity for our employees, local communities, and host country governments.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

As an equal opportunity employer, our policy is to appoint the best person to the job based on individual strengths, irrespective of gender, race, disability, ethnicity, religious belief or sexual orientation.

We have made significant investments to build an effective multicultural and multigenerational workforce that is equipped to take on the challenges of a changing world through a number of initiatives to attract the best people from a variety of backgrounds.

Our strategy to achieve a more diverse and engaged workplace continues with our enduring focus in the following areas:

  • Living our sustainability strategy by prioritizing local hiring to grow the cultural and ethnic diversity of our workforce. We also build the skills and capabilities of our host country workers to multiply our positive impact on local, regional, and national economies. At the end of December 2021, 96% of our employees were local nationals, and our multicultural workforce reflects our commitment.
  • Doing our part to right the gender imbalance in the historically male-dominated mining industry by prioritizing initiatives that support gender diversity, including the recruitment and development of women at all levels in our workforce, from internship to management.
  • Continuing our focus on recruiting and training the next generation of mining talent with the potential to become future leaders of the company. While many other companies scaled back apprenticeship training and internship programs due to Covid-19, each of our regions continued to invest in these opportunities.
  • Fostering an inclusive environment where our employees feel that all voices are heard, all cultures and differences respected, and that a variety of perspectives are welcome and essential to our long-term success.

In 2021, 17% of all new hires were female and we continued to actively promote gender diversity across the organization, including the provision of career workshops and targeted leadership development initiatives to foster greater diversity at our operations and local communities. Beyond this, we also continued to work with local governments to remove barriers to employment for women and we partnered with local communities to change cultural norms and raise awareness about the importance and value of employment and economic empowerment for local women.

Our flat, decentralized management structure engenders our inclusive culture and provides our executive team with direct access to our operations, enabling transparent, two-way communication. We also conduct annual executive and regional team effectiveness sessions to create a shared understanding of, and commitment to, our high-performance ethos. Since the Merger, the President and CEO and a core group of our executives spend approximately five full weeks each quarter engaged in quarterly business reviews with regional and site leadership teams prior to each Board meeting. For the remainder of each quarter, the President and CEO and a majority of our executives are physically present in our operating regions embedding our DNA, driving key initiatives, and assessing organization capability.

During these site visits, we engage in rigorous discussions focused on business execution, safety and environmental performance and the status of key projects; solicit direct employee feedback; and, provide management with an important opportunity to interface with emerging high potential talent.