As part of Review and Planning (see Section 2), sites undertake a five-yearly comprehensive external context review. The information collected as part of the external context review, coupled with information from discussions with key stakeholders (see 4E.2 Task 1), helps determine existing and potential future impacts (assessed as part of , see 4E.2 Task 3). Information collected as part of the legal and regulatory, political and governance, and personal and political security categories is typically most relevant for security-related issues.
In addition to the five-yearly update of baseline information, sites are required to collect and maintain up-to-date information about private and public security providers, commensurate to the level of risk and potential impacts in their jurisdiction. Examples of the types of information that will inform the context review are outlined in Table 4E.3.
The frequency, scope and approach to the context review should be determined commensurate to risk and potential impacts. In contexts with a good track record on human rights and security risks, and where the external environment is stable, it may be appropriate to update information on the external context, for example, once every two or three years based on publicly available secondary data. In other contexts, the external context should be reviewed on an annual basis and will require a more detailed review of information from a wider number of sources. All sites should update their external context review if there have been any major changes in the external environment that could affect the security context such as change in government, outbreak of conflict, increase in crime, and major political or policy changes.
In respect of public security providers, the objective of the external context review is to fulfil the VPSHR requirement for public sector VPSHR due diligence to understand the context related to a national/regional security environment. This public sector VPSHR due diligence should be used to inform a review of potential threats to Anglo American and potential impacts to stakeholders related to relying on public sector security providers for security provision and/or rule of law. The extent and detail of this public sector VPSHR due diligence, including the information outlined in Table 4E.3, should be commensurate to the level of risk and potential impacts in the jurisdiction and context.
In respect of private security providers, the objective of the external context review is to fulfil the VPSHR requirement for a private sector VPSHR due diligence to understand the history and track record of the individuals and businesses providing security services. This private sector VPSHR due diligence should be used to inform a review of potential threats to Anglo American and potential impacts to stakeholders related to utilising this security provider. The private sector VPSHR due diligence should be conducted as/when new private sector security firms are added and/or when the scope of work or work location changes materially. The information outlined in Table D that needs to be gathered should be scaled appropriately.
TABLE 4E.3 Contextual information on private and public security providers
| Private security |
Public security |
- History and track record, especially allegations of inappropriate or abusive behaviour and corruption
- Type: unarmed/armed, type of weapons used
- Composition: from local communities or from elsewhere; ethnic/religious/gender balance
- Level of training in use of force, human rights/ humanitarian law
- Level of professionalism
- Hiring process
- May include review of key individuals within private security firm and their criminal record
|
- History and track record, especially allegations of inappropriate or abusive behaviour and corruption
- Type: police/military, unarmed/armed, type of weapons used
- Force composition and command and control structures
- Location – close to or removed from local communities
- Capacity and resourcing
- Wages and conditions of work
- Competence, qualifications required and training provided
- Regulations and required standards in relation to use of force, weapons and alignment with VPSHR approach
- Level of professionalism
- Awareness of human rights
- Accountability mechanisms (i.e. independent complaints body etc.)
- Human rights record, including credible allegations of abuses
- History of relations with local communities.
- Process for screening of new recruits and hiring process
|
There may be sensitivities in collecting this information, and the availability of information may vary. Sources of information include:
- Public security providers. These may be reluctant to disclose, or may be legally prevented from disclosing, certain types of information
- Home country embassies and government officials
- Host country government officials
- National and international and civil society, including for example International Alert, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Potential differences in viewpoint should be understood and sites must ensure individuals within civil society//communities are not put at risk.
- Peer companies and VP networks
- National and international media reports
- Human rights reports by governments and inter-governmental agencies, including the , EU, and US
- Consultancies and academics specialising in human rights and security issues
- Local communities