ASI’s Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum: Strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement in Bauxite Mining Regions

16 August 2024

The ASI’s Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum (IPAF) emerged from the necessity to foster meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) affected by bauxite mining and other elements of the aluminium value chain activities globally. Designed as a communications and engagement platform, IPAF, as a key part of the ASI governance framework, facilitates interactions between IPLC representatives and ASI stakeholders, ensuring their voices are integral to the decision-making processes impacting their traditional lands and communities. Since the inaugural IPAF meeting in 2016, the IPAF network has developed into a broad network of members in numerous countries across 5 continents. The flexible participation model enables members to represent their communities in various ways, including, as a means of sourcing information on the aluminium value chain, actively participating in online meetings and training programs, participating in ASI audits and various project-based activities.

Benefits of IPAF to IPLCs

Practical and meaningful engagement lies at the heart of IPAF’s mission. IPAF enables its members to access and participate in ASI’s broader governance framework through participation in the ASI Standards Committee, Working Groups, interaction with the ASI Board and the ASI Complaints Mechanism. Through various ASI-supported projects and training programs, IPAF builds IPLCs’ capacity to engage with ASI stakeholders on a more informed and practical basis, including acknowledgment of the significant experience and knowledge held by Indigenous peoples and local communities regarding their traditional lands. Most importantly, IPAF enables its members to engage with each other to share experiences and learnings. Through its consistent communication and relationship-building within its membership, IPAF provides a safe place for its members to provide a valuable feedback loop that helps ensure that ASI’s work includes inputs that apply Free Prior and Informed Consent principles.

“… I welcome the initiative of (ASI) to have within its community true members of rural communities because, it is only by participating in these committees that our wishes will be taken into account.”

– Mr Sankon Mohamed, Advisor and Representative, Groupement Lanyi Fan and ASI Standards Committee Member (Guinea)

Benefits of IPAF to ASI Entities

The mutual benefits of IPAF extend to both Indigenous Peoples and the broader ASI membership. ASI training initiatives tailored specifically for IPAF, along with country-specific projects, enhance understanding of key issues and support informed discussions between ASI entities and local communities. This collaborative engagement fosters a shared understanding of knowledge systems and different perspectives of development impacts, both positive and negative, and promotes engagement to help build stronger (business – community) relationships. By enabling direct communication and shared perspectives, IPAF assists in addressing issues and ensures that entities have balanced and inclusive frames of reference in their sustainable development strategies. This collaborative approach not only enhances entities’ approaches to growth and development, it empowers IPLCs and also enriches ASI’s decision-making processes, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

Addressing Myths and Misconceptions of the IPLC perspective on mining operations

Myths and misconceptions are often derived from lack of interaction, historical issues and /or experiences. One common misconception being addressed through IPAF is that all IPLCs have the same perspective of being opposed to mining operations. However, as with all communities, there are a diversity of views and opinions, with some Indigenous communities being strongly opposed to mining and others being favourable. Whatever their perspective, ASI aims to support to their capacity to articulate it, as this enables them to:

• participate in a Free Prior and Informed Consent process,
• have their knowledge and experience included in the decision-making process,
• determine where in their traditional lands development impacts are acceptable and where they are not
• establish protective measures for cultural values, sacred sites and other areas identified as important to communities for environmental values, provisional and other ecosystem services and of course,
• share in the benefits of proposed developments.

The development of positive relationships fostered through IPAF interactions within and outside the ASI governance framework helps to address this and other societal based myths and misconceptions.

“Being an IPAF member representative on the ASI Standards Committee isn’t just about inclusion; it’s about recognition. I believe in the transformative power of standards, and not just maintaining the status quo. By advocating and integrating for standards that reflect Indigenous cultural values and respect for land, we’re not just setting benchmarks; we’re paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future.”

– Ms Marina Wangurra, Director & Strategist, Nawa Nawa Consultants Pty Ltd and ASI Standards Committee Member (Australia)

IPAF-Led Free, Prior and Informed Consent Guidance Flagship Project

IPAF is supporting both ASI members and IPLCs including through developing three guidelines that support the implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles. The first guidance materials are to enable certified Entities understand the importance of FPIC and the key steps for implementation, the second guidance is tailored to support Indigenous peoples in the implementation of FPIC, whilst the third includes a guide for auditors, to support their considerations in auditing against the ASI Performance Standards.

For more information on IPAF, contact Mark Annandale, ASI Research Director and IPAF Adviser.

 

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