Why cultural heritage matters A resource guide for integrating cultural heritage management into Communities work at Rio Tinto About Rio Tinto Rio Tinto is a leading global business involved in each stage of metal and mineral production. We produce aluminium, copper, diamonds, coal, iron ore, uranium, gold and industrial minerals. We operate in more than 50 countries and employ about 77,000 people, and many more work on our sites in contract roles. Health and safety is a key priority for us and we seek to place sustainable development at the heart of everything we do. We are a global organisation with one set of standards and values, while paying particular attention to the unique needs and aspirations of the communities that host our operations. Cover Mr Tseveen Ayush competing in traditional archery at the 2010 National Naadam Festival, Mongolia. Mr Tseveen is the most respected traditional archer in Mongolia and has been recognised by the Mongolian Government as a Distinguished Athlete. Oyu Tolgoi supports the National Naadam Festival which features traditional archery, wrestling and horseracing. The National Naadam Festival has been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Why cultural heritage matters A resource guide for integrating cultural heritage management into Communities work at Rio Tinto Contents 1. Introduction Forewords 06 About this guide 10 Contributors to this guide 12 Key concepts 14 Introduction 15 2. How to guide 2.1 Inclusive engagement 22 2.2 Know and understand 28 2.3 Plan and implement 44 2.4 Monitor, evaluate and improve 66 2.5 Report and communicate 80 2.6 Summary 88 3. Background reader 3.1 Cultural heritage concepts 91 3.2 The business case 100 3.3 Impacts on cultural heritage 104 3.4 International protocols and standards for protecting cultural heritage and diversity 109 4. References Acronym list 118 Glossary 119 Rio Tinto’s policies, standards and guidances 124 Key websites 125 References 126 Left Dancers from the /Abi //Aeb Cultural Group perform at the Rossing 30 Year Celebration in 2006. The group’s name means ‘rain-time’ and their dance style is traditional to this region of Namibia, Africa. 9 4 2 12 5 3 7 10 1 13 11 6 8 Case studies 1 Rio Tinto in Weipa, Australia Inclusive engagement at Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa 26 2 Rio Tinto in Jadar, Serbia Involving experts in early desktop review for identifying cultural heritage 34 3 Rio Tinto in Phalaborwa, South Africa Addressing legal requirements while furthering cultural heritage goals 38 4 Rio Tinto in Quebec, Canada Recognising the heritage value of Canada’s aluminium industry 40 5 Rio Tinto in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe Planning relocation of significant heritage and honouring cultural needs 52 6 Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund, Australia Supporting culture beyond our operations 58 7 Rio Tinto in Richards Bay, South Africa Mananga Heritage Centre: a living memorial 60 8 Rio Tinto in the Upper Hunter Valley, Australia Implementing an integrative Cultural Heritage Management System 64 9 Rio Tinto in the Northwest Territories, Canada Incorporating traditional knowledge into scientific monitoring at Diavik Diamond Mine 68 10 Rio Tinto in Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia Design and monitoring framework: standards of acceptable change 74 11 Rio Tinto in the Pilbara, Australia Continual improvement of heritage performance 78 12 Rio Tinto in Utah, US Promoting industrial heritage values of an operating mine 84 13 Rio Tinto in the East Kimberley, Australia Open and transparent communication at Argyle Diamonds 86 Introduction Forewords Sam Walsh Chief executive, Iron Ore and Australia Respect for culture and heritage is integral to the way Rio Tinto conducts business. Wherever we operate, our businesses work with local and Indigenous communities on the protection of their cultural heritage. We do this because it is the right thing to do and because there is a strong business case for doing so. We recognise that protecting culture and heritage is important to communities and, therefore, it is important to us. This is why we engage so thoroughly with our host communities to build strong relationships, understand cultural heritage values and manage the local and regional impacts of our operations. 08 Introduction What I have particularly noticed I am sure that you will each I commend this guide as a with this work is its breadth have your own stories about resource for not only the and complexity, as well as the community engagement. Each Communities staff of Rio Tinto, considerable internal effort that will have as a backdrop the overall but also for all employees involved it takes to get it right. We dedicate commitment of your business and in project development and land highly skilled people and invest your operation to culture and management work – indeed, to substantial financial resources heritage protection, as well as to those more broadly in our businesses. in cultural heritage management. the related capabilities and systems. It is a practical toolkit that will help you to better understand We are also clear about the need A common and practical guide cultural heritage considerations to fully integrate this work across that reflects our cultural heritage and incorporate them into your all parts of our businesses to management approach is most planning and programming. achieve the best outcomes. important. Even more so that it has been developed over many I would like to think that this guide As the case studies in this years of robust engagement with will enrich your understanding guide demonstrate, there can communities the world over. and in turn lead to more effective be significant cultural heritage collaboration with our host threats and opportunities in the It is a guide for all Rio Tinto communities, particularly to diverse areas in which we operate. operations, including those protect and perpetuate their This is often a complex and activities associated with cultural heritage. challenging environment, exploration, with integrated for which the experience and mining and with smelting and stories from others can certainly other processing. be most helpful. 09 Introduction Forewords Bruce Harvey Global practice leader, Communities and social performance At Rio Tinto we recognise the fundamental role that culture and heritage plays in our engagement with local communities. We know that culture is the basis of all social identity and development, and cultural heritage is the endowment that each generation receives and passes on. We understand that protecting and managing cultural heritage assets jointly with communities contributes to the quality of our relationships. Greater attention to cultural heritage helps us be more effective in our community engagement and enhances our legacy. 010 Introduction We want to increase the level of considerations cut across all leading to escalating social trust our host communities have stages of an operation’s lifecycle, stress and harm. Furthermore, in us. We can build trust through from exploration through to the effectiveness of our broader the protection and celebration closure, and many operational community engagement can of cultural heritage and going dimensions, such as community be limited by not adequately beyond compliance with cultural relations, environment and land identifying and incorporating heritage provisions in the UN management, mine planning important cultural considerations. Declaration on Human Rights. and human resources. This And, by focussing entirely on Celebrating the distinct cultural guide outlines cultural heritage conventional economic options, achievements and heritage of management considerations such as mining employment our host communities provides through all of these stages and business development, we a foundation of confidence and and dimensions. can negate communities’ ability trust. This foundation enables to access the many social and us to work in partnership with At Rio Tinto we place great economic opportunities arising our host communities to ensure importance on our relationships from their cultural heritage. they benefit from the sustainable with host communities but we economic opportunities provided know that we do not always This guide will help all of by our activities. This is the achieve the outcomes that we our operations improve their essence of Rio Tinto’s sustainable and others want. Some of our understanding of cultural development objectives. businesses have engaged with heritage values and how, with host communities to achieve guidance from communities and In recent times we have made very positive cultural heritage stakeholders, they can manage significant advances in community outcomes but others have any potential impacts. As we engagement practices. We are further progress to make. Some improve our understanding of building a solid architecture of achievements are highlighted in how our activities affect cultural polices, standards and systems the case studies in this guide and heritage, we can improve our that facilitate engagement and we plan to build on these. decision making processes. This sustainable economic and social will help us progress towards outcomes for host communities. Rio Tinto is committed to respecting our goal of making an enduring Recognition of our host communities’ human rights, including the positive impact on the economic culture and heritage is explicit potential impacts of our activities and social development of our in our Communities policy and on cultural identity and heritage. host communities and nations. standard,