The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is the answer to a global demand for more socially and environmentally responsible mining. IRMA offers true independent assessment against a comprehensive standard for all mined materials that provides ‘one-stop coverage’ of the full range of issues related to the impacts of industrial-scale mines.
Vision
We envision a world where the mining industry respects the human rights and aspirations of affected communities, provides safe, healthy and supportive workplaces, minimizes harm to the environment, and leaves positive legacies.
Mission
Our mission is to protect people and the environment directly affected by mining. We do this by creating financial value for mines independently verified to achieve best practices, and share this value with the businesses that purchase material from these mines.
Accountability
How voting happens, who has a vote, and what weight a vote carries, is key in multi-stakeholder leadership. IRMA is a multi-stakeholder led organization, meaning that it must be accountable to all.
IRMA’s governance is equally shared by civil society, communities, and organized labor alongside the private sector. What this means in practice is that IRMA has a decision-making process that strives for consensus, and where consensus cannot be achieved we then vote. However, a motion to approve a decision cannot succeed if any stakeholder group is fundamentally opposed. In those cases, discussions must continue so that a resolution may be found.
For more information on decision-making, see IRMA’s Governance page.
