Effective security management is underpinned by two inter-related objectives: the protection of the site, its workers and property; and avoiding adverse social and human rights impacts on external stakeholders resulting from a site’s security arrangements.
Anglo American bears varying degrees of responsibility for the actions and behaviour of private and public security acting on its behalf or as a result of its presence. If excessive force is employed by public security forces, for example to clear land or to disperse a protest, a site may be linked to these human rights abuses. A site’s presence may lead to greater public security or military forces being deployed in the site’s vicinity, which may result in local communities (in particular vulnerable groups) feeling threatened or intimidated. Conversely, site induced in-migration related to an Anglo American operation may stretch public sector security forces meaning they are less able to fulfil their duties.
Table 4E.1 provides an overview of potential security risks to the site, and potential social and human rights impacts caused by a site’s private and/or public security providers.
Therefore, sites should not only assess risks to the site, but also assess the potential adverse social and human rights impacts of the site’s security context and security arrangements, as required by the VPs. This section is designed to be fully aligned with the requirements of the VPs. Sites do not need to conduct a separate VPs risk assessment.
TABLE 4E.1 Principal security threats and impacts
| Potential security risks to site |
Potential social and human rights impacts caused by a site’s private and/or public security providers |
- Trespassing
- Theft of site property
- Damage to site property
- Attacks on site staff
- Kidnapping/hijacking/hostage taking of site staff
- Terrorism
- Extortion, bribery and corruption
- Illegal mining
- Illegal occupation / squatting on mining lease
|
- Restricted access to certain areas
- Excessive use of force by private or public security
- Local communities feeling threatened or intimidated by security forces
- Public/private security forces using site material or equipment to commit human rights abuses
- Public/private security forces confiscating material/property of trespassers or ASM, and benefitting from onward sale
- Inappropriate behaviour on the part of public/private security providers, including harassment and discrimination when acting on behalf of the site
- Harassment, discrimination or arbitrary arrests or detention of community members by public security forces, for example following a protest against a site or following allegations of theft of site property or trespassing on the site
- Denial or restrictions in accessing justice of local community member seeking redress for alleged public/private security abuses
|
Lifecyle Planning
Security management is a critical issue from Discovery through to Post-Closure.