Responsible resettlement: implementing the corporate responsibility to respect human rights in the context of mining induced displacement and resettlement

Mining-induced displacement and resettlement is a high-risk activity that has an inherent potential to impact the human rights of those affected. However, current models of international best practice in resettlement, based on guidelines developed by International Financial Institutions, do not adequately frame resettlement as a human rights issue. In operating contexts where the human rights protections offered to people by host states can be limited, the importance of companies implementing their responsibilities to respect human rights becomes crucial. To date, the gaps in protections available to people affected by resettlement have been largely filled by company-led corporate social responsibility activities, which can be poorly aligned with societal needs and lack a normative framework with sufficient onus on the responsibilities of corporate actors. The UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights provide the basis for a rights-based approach, and by implementing a responsibility to respect human rights throughout the lifecycle of conducting resettlement activities, mining companies can reduce the risk that they might cause, contribute to, or be linked with human rights abuses. This thesis proposes practical steps that companies can take to fulfil their responsibly to respect human rights in the context of a mining-induced displacement and resettlement