ABOUT THE GTMI
History
GLOBAL TAILINGS REVIEW
ICMM, UNEP and PRI co-convened the Global Tailings Review (GTR) in 2019 to establish an international standard for the safer management of tailings facilities.
The resulting Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), which launched on 5 August 2020, was developed through an independent process chaired by Dr Bruno Oberle. He had the support of a multi-disciplinary expert panel and input from a multi-stakeholder advisory group.
The review involved extensive public consultation with affected communities, government representatives, investors, multilateral organisations and mining industry stakeholders. The GISTM is informed by existing best practice and findings from past tailings facility failures.
Towards Zero Harm: A Compendium of Papers
The full GISTM review process is found in the introductory chapter of this document. Its purpose is to:
- Provide context to the GISTM with reasons why the GTR was initiated, the process that was followed, and considerations that guided its development.
- Review a wide range of issues related to the safe management of tailings facilities, for consideration by relevant stakeholders.
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The key messages contained in the compendium are also available in: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
GTMI Timeline
CREATION OF A GLOBAL STANDARD
Global Tailings Review Resources
Presented to the public and invited feedback from stakeholders between 15 November 2019 and 1 January 2020.
The draft was available in seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
Offers full details of the public consultation process, the feedback received, and how this was addressed in the final draft of the Standard.
The Executive Summary of the report is also available in: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
Participation in the consultation process was facilitated via email, an online portal, a number of webinars and through workshops in Australia, Chile, China, Ghana, Kazakhstan and South Africa.
Outlines the GTR’s scope and how it was independently governed to ensure its integrity.
Co-founder and chair interviews about the GTR:
CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE
Multi-stakeholder Advisory Panel
Alongside the GISTM, a key recommendation from the Global Tailings Review was the need to create an independent Institute that could manage an assurance framework for facilities to be audited against the Standard. Based on this recommendation, PRI and UNEP agreed to establish a process to create an independent Institute.
In October 2021, a multi-stakeholder advisory panel was formed by UNEP and PRI to support the foundation of the Global Tailings Management Institute.
One of the aims of the advisory panel was for anyone impacted by tailings, or living with a facility in their community, to be confident in the Institute’s ability to oversee the application of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management.
The Advisory Panel met nine times and was supported by former Alcoa Tailings Expert, David Cooling.
The panel reflected multiple stakeholders with an interest in effective tailings management:
- Victoria Corpuz – Tebtebba Foundation
- Peter Kindt – ING
- Günter Becker – Insurance representative (formerly Munich RE)
- Rebecca Campbell – White & Case
- Glen Mpufane – IndustriALL
- Andressa Lanchotti – State Prosecutor in Brazil
- Prof Andy Fourie – University of Western Australia
- Antonia Mihaylova – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Paul Bateman – International Cyanide Management Institute
- Tamara Johndrow – Freeport-McMoRan
- Johan Boshoff – Gold Fields
- Prof. Elaine Baker – University of Sydney/GRID Arendal
- Angelica Andrade – affected community representative
- David Cooling – Consultant
- Jan Morrill – Earthworks
The panel created a presentation which sets out the recommendations that PRI and UNEP adopted and would move forward to implement.