Measured pressure
UK charity CAFOD, a relief and development agency, recently released a report on AngloGold Ashanti’s proposed gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In our opinion, it’s one of the better examples of NGO commentary/pressure on the corporate world, a real improvement, in terms of clarity and quality, over some of the similar documents we’ve seen.
The report, Golden Opportunity or False Hope?, is accessible, beginning with an executive summary – a smart move, given that many will get no further than reading this. Its recommendations are reasonable, focusing on transparency and encouraging engagement. It also acknowledges the roles of the state mining company and the national government in the matter, making further suggestions to these two parties.
CAFOD’s report does not attempt to attack or shame AngloGold. It is not even particularly critical in tone. Instead, it seems to be aimed at bringing the company’s activities out into the open, encouraging dialogue, rather than picking a fight.
It is clear from the report that AngloGold and CAFOD have been in some contact, but the publication suggests that CAFOD felt it necessary to make its suggestions public. The expectation now will be for AngloGold to respond in some fashion, and CAFOD have left the door wide open for the company to do so. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
