This post is also available in: Français (French)

Working in partnership with Kabinet Cisse (Guinea-based consultant) and more than a dozen authors, especially those affiliated with Insuco, Lien De Brouckere was the lead researcher and editor-in-chief of the Practical Guide, Mining & Communities: Supporting human rights-based development in the context of industrial mining in Guinea, published in June 2015 by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative for civil society organizations and local authorities in the Republic of Guinea.

Written in a question-and-answer format with dialogues among local people, the 300-page combined reference manual and interactive curriculum addresses: mines & communities, meaning the mine life cycle, the changes it brings, how to participate in an impact assessment and monitor the management plan; the rule of law, including human rights and the roles and responsibilities of each actor; conflict and violence prevention and tools supporting improved communication, negotiation and community cohesion, including consultation or community protocols and participatory land use planning; the possible benefits of mining, and tools to capture mining’s benefits, including local content strategies, community development agreements, and local financial management; ways to address and minimize impacts on land (compensation mechanisms, and resettlement), environment and cultural sites; what actions people can take locally to voice their concerns, how to document and monitor (including baseline studies, community-controlled impact assessments, joint participatory monitoring) and options for access to remedy locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.

In each of the Modules, the Guide draws on and summarizes relevant aspects of domestic law (not only the mining law, but also the Constitution, law of decentralization, land law, environmental protection law, water law, public health law, and more), regional and international human rights law, gender, industry best practice, and advice and case studies from affected communities around the world.

Download here:

• The Guide is available in full-length in French and English.
• A summary of the Guide is also available in French and English.
• A folder with the Guide’s reference materials is available on Dropbox.