On 19th May IRMA hosted the inaugural meeting of its IRMA Law & Policy Forum. Formed in response to requests across IRMA’s six houses, the Forum serves as a regular hub for IRMA Members and Partners to:

  • share updates related to law and policy frameworks relevant to responsible mining, mineral processing, and mineral value chains;
  • develop and implement strategies to integrate the best practices in the IRMA Standard into law and policy frameworks; and
  • inform the IRMA Standards and system, ensuring that IRMA maintains best practice approaches that incorporate relevant international frameworks and standards and reduce duplication in reporting requirements.

IRMA is committed to supporting governments and working across sectors to incorporate the best practices in IRMA Standards into law and policy frameworks. The Forum kicked off with updates on IRMA’s engagement with governments and policymakers across jurisdictions, including an overview of the 10 Key Benefits of IRMA for Governments and Policymakers. We discussed ways that governments around the world, including Indigenous and Tribal Governments, have referenced IRMA, with examples from Australia, British Columbia First Nations and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Chile, the European Union, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and beyond. We shared ways that we are working with intergovernmental bodies, including to advance implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals Guiding Principles and Actionable Recommendations. The IRMA Secretariat also shared updates on IRMA’s first National Level Forum in Indonesia, a multi-stakeholder forum focused on cross-sector engagement and implementation of IRMA in Indonesia.

The remainder of the meeting was a space for IRMA Members & Partners to share their priorities and expertise and participate in a cross-sector discussion of key developments, such as the EU Omnibus package proposing changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

The Forum will continue to meet on a quarterly basis. It is available to anyone in IRMA Member & Partner organizations working on law and policy and seeking to engage across IRMA sectors to advance IRMA’s Mission and Vision.