Despite the clear global standards around resettlement and land acquisition—notably, the International Finance Corporation’s Performance
Standard 5 (International Finance Corporation 2012)—in practice, this remains a very challenging
area for companies. Many projects do not begin planning resettlement activities early enough. Nor do they invest enough human or financial resources in ensuring impacts are assessed and mitigated, and that benefits are shared in a sustainable way.
As a consequence, grievances from resettled and host communities can result in conflict and mine
closures. Nearby communities can also disrupt project activities if they do not see benefits accruing to them, even though they may not be directly affected by resettlement.
However, projects that do invest in planning resettlement appropriately with well-managed engagement of relevant stakeholders have been shown to gain the trust of local communities, formed more collaborative relationships with governments and been able to minimise disruptions to the business. The aim of this guidance is to support companies in achieving these positive outcomes. While the primary audience for this guidance is operational level employees of mining companies with direct responsibility for carrying out resettlement activities, it should also be useful for corporate-level staff with responsibility for social performance.