Participation in public policy development
AngloGold Ashanti engages directly with several international external initiatives on public policy issues. As part of this engagement strategy, AngloGold Ashanti is committed to membership of, or support for, several external initiatives, which deal with key issues of concern to the company and its stakeholders.
The accompanying table summarises these memberships and the significant issues of concern for AngloGold Ashanti in relation to each body. There are no significant differences between our policies in each area and those stated by the organisation concerned.
Commitments to external initiatives – 2010
| Organisation or public body | Significant issues in relation to this body | Core position on these issues held by AngloGold Ashanti |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) |
Implementation of the 10 principles of the UNGC through AngloGold Ashanti’s business principles. | Business decisions are informed by our values, which are aligned with the 10 principles of the UNGC. |
| International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) | Defining the mining and metals industry’s commitment to the responsible production of the minerals and metals society needs. We support the ICMM’s effort to define a leadership position for this commitment to responsible production. This includes the areas of health, safety, environment and community, materials stewardship, and the social and economic contribution of mining to society. These issues are all material to AngloGold Ashanti. | We have committed to implementing the ICMM Sustainable Development Framework, which comprises three elements – a set of 10 principles (including a set of supporting position statements), public reporting and independent assurance each approved by its CEO-led council. Our performance on each of the 10 principles of the ICMM is contained in this report. |
| Responsible Jewellery Council | Developing and refining a chain of confidence system for gold and diamond jewellery. | We are committed to responsible mining, refining and marketing of gold. Mining members of the RJC are required to be independently certified to its Code of Practices by December 2012. AngloGold Ashanti is working towards this goal. |
| Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) | Defining and implementing global standards for non-financial reporting. | We are committed to reporting on an A+ basis against the GRI and to delivering non-financial reporting which is accurate, representative and accessible to stakeholders. AngloGold Ashanti is an organisational stakeholder of the GRI. |
| International Cyanide Management Code for the Manufacture, Transport and Use of Cyanide in the Production of Gold (the Cyanide Code) | Promoting the responsible management of cyanide, ensuring that human health is protected and reducing the potential for environmental impacts. | We are committed to ensuring that all of our operations are certified against the Cyanide Code. Please refer to Environmental and natural resource stewardship in the group-level report. |
| Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) | Ensuring transparency in payments made to government. | We are committed to transparent and accurate public reporting on all payments we make to the governments of the countries in which we do business. We disclose all payments to governments, irrespective of whether the government concerned is a member of the EITI. |
| Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (Voluntary Principles) | Defining guidance for extractive companies on maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. | We are committed to implementing the Voluntary Principles’ approach to security management. We report annually on our progress in implementing the Voluntary Principles and disclose these reports publicly on our website. |
