Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

Chapter 2.4: Negotiations and Engagement with Companies
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From the Non-Indigenous Perspective
There is no shortage of material that has been written on
best practice in the extractive industries, coming from either
the industry, academics and/or NGOs.
Both the mining industry and the oil and gas industry have
produced handbooks in relation to indigenous peoples. In the
case of the mining industry, it is the International Council of
Mining and Metals (ICMM)’s “Good Practice Guide.” 11 For
the hydrocarbon industry it is the International Petroleum
Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)’s
“Indigenous Peoples and the oil and gas industry.” 12 It is
also worth reviewing materials from the company that appears
most transparent with its internal engagement policies,
which is Anglo American with its “Socio-Economic Assessment
Toolbox.” 13
To their credit, these publications have an enlightened
rhetoric on issues dealing with indigenous peoples. They
claim to have had some indigenous input, they accept a wideranging
definition of indigenous, and all offer some solid,
practical advice on respectful engagement. They stress both
the necessity to comply with laws and good business practice,
but also stress the competitive advantage for companies in
getting good relations with indigenous peoples. They also
contain industry examples of good practice, and—in the case
of the ICMM—a Position Statement, with set of commitments.
For any community facing an extractive project, the respective
publication is worth reading to understand the latest industry
perspective on the issues. Reading them is a reflection of the
credit due to the indigenous movement, that the extractive
industries have placed so much of their combined efforts to
address the issue. It is of course likewise a reflection of the
painful mistakes that have been made, and the leap required
to ensure universal application of these fine words.
One of the problems of implementation is that companies
have tended to have an essentially “reductionist” attitude to
social issues. Despite employing social scientists and anthropologists,
14 the nature of ensuring there is proof of compliance
means that a “tick box” exercise is always preferred. One of