21 July 2021

Following several months of constructive discussions facilitated by the Australian OECD National Contact Point (AusNCP), Rio Tinto and 156 Bougainville community residents, represented by the Human Rights Law Centre (together, the Parties), have reached an agreement to identify and assess legacy impacts of the Panguna mine on Bougainville.

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The Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Assessment (Assessment) will identify and assess actual and potential environmental and human rights impacts and develop recommendations for what needs to be done to address them.

The Assessment will be carried out by an independent third-party company (or consortium), unrelated to Rio Tinto or BCL, with strong environmental and human rights expertise and will involve local and international experts.

The Assessment will be overseen by a multi-stakeholder committee, to be established by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and the Parties (Committee). In order to ensure all relevant stakeholders are involved, representatives will be invited to join the Committee from the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and BCL, as well as several other landowner and community representatives from the mine-affected areas. The Committee will be chaired by an independent facilitator.

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The Assessment will be predominantly funded by Rio Tinto with BCL separately contributing, provided that: broader stakeholders on the Committee endorse the process and proposed methodology of the Assessment; the Assessment can be safely completed; and an appropriate funding mechanism can be agreed. The ABG has confirmed its support for the process.

The Assessment is one of three commitments from Rio Tinto sought by the communities under the complaint to the AusNCP. The complaint also seeks commitments from Rio Tinto to: 

• Engage with Panguna mine-affected communities to help find solutions and undertake formal reconciliation as per Bougainvillean custom; 
• Contribute to a substantial, independently managed fund, to help

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