Development and Partnership in Action Oxfam in Cambodia and DPA is partnering to implement the project namely “Strengthening CSO Members’ Capacity to promote multi-stakeholder dialogue and to enhance social and environmental performance in EI Sector”
The Extractive Industrial sector investment in Cambodia having been grown rapidly. The Ministry of Mining and Energy (MME) opens more for local and oversea companies to invest in themining sector. In late March 2020, MME of Cambodia endorsed 16 new exploration licenses for mining companies to start implementation of the exploration projects where are located in Mondulkiri, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Kratie, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear. It would really a massive concern on the social and environmental impacts, conflicts over natural resource andhuman rights violations. During the MME’s annual achievement conference in February 2020, the MME updated that there are 17 mining exploitation licenses, 37 mineral exploration licenses, and 323 construction mineral licenses were issued.
The mining companies have operated in the DPA’s targetprovinces include Renaissance Mineral (Cambodia) Limited, Mesco Gold, Aluminum Development (Cambodia) Corp co., Ltd, Angkor Gold Corp, Golden Resources Development Co Ltd, Kun Yuan International (Cambodia) Co., Ltd and NITTESU MINING (CAMBODIA) Ltd. Based on information from the EIA reports and approved license, concession areas of these companies overlapped on Wildlife Sanctuaries, CommunityProtected Area (CPA), Prey Lang including community forestry and land areasof DPA’s target communities. As example, the granted exploration concession areas to NITTESU MINING (CAMBODIA) Ltd from Japan, is 13,618.1 hectares and it has overlapped on Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.
With greater understanding and attention of the society, the mining investment would create substantial resource revenues for national economic grows. However, there has also produced hug negative impacts to social and environment. With this regards, specialized line ministries and government requires toformulate and improve related legal frameworks (laws, policies, sub-decrees and guidelines etc.), human resource development, and improve collaboration with relevant stakeholders (civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector, communities etc.) foreffective and sustainable management of the mineral resources.
DPA-EISEI maintains goodrelationship with and work closely with the government’s line ministries (Ministry of Mines and Energy and Ministry of Environment)and facilitated and participated inpublic consultation on the draft laws/policies, sub-decree and guidelines. Engaging strongly with policy dialogues and national and sub-national multi-stakeholder dialogue platform contribute to increase the capacity DPA staff and EISEI network membersand contribute to attain the outlined outcomes and outputs. Additionally, DPA-EISEI has been attending the inter-ministerial meetings to review and give comment on EIA reports as the part of NGOs participation for effective and better EIA as well as Environmental Management Plan (EMP). To strengthen the quality of feedback/inputs on the EIA reports, DPA-EISEI utilized the EIA report review checklists to gather and validate data and conducted internal inclusive process in consolidating and finalizingcomments on the EIA reports prior to presenting them to the inter-ministerial meetings officially. DPA also works closely with other NGOs, those two government’s ministry and private sector in ensuring the function of Extractive Industry Governance Forum (EIGF) andexpanded an engagement of the community representatives and community mining focal point representatives so that they were able topresent their concerns and dialogue directly with the representatives of government’s Ministry and private sector directly and asked for intervention and solution.
Based on the new strategic plan of Development and Partnership in Action (DPA), DPA-Extractive Industry Social and Environmental Impact (EISEI) is still working for communities have their rights respected and received equitable benefits from extractive industry sector that enhance their livelihood conditions. The DPA-EISEI provides support services in terms of capacity building, facilitating building and strengthening network at local and national levels andfacilitating influencing works toaddress emerging development issues related to gender and mining impact issues.
The overall objective of this project is to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of mining on local people particular indigenous people communities, men and women in Cambodia, including Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, Preah Vihea, Kampong Thom, and Siem Reap.
The specific objectives are:
(1) Strengthen CSOs’ role and collaboration in multi-stakeholder engagement and policy dialoguesat national and sub-national level in order to enhance social and environmental performance in EI Sector;
(2) Consult and lobby relevant ministries to have organizational reform and improve legal framework toward more socially and environmentallygovernance of EI sector.
The expected outcomes of the project are:
(1) CSO’s roles and collaboration are recognized by the government at national and sub-national level in multi-stakeholder engagement and policy dialogues to enhance social and environmentalperformance in EI sector.
(2) Relevant ministries have organizational andlegislative reform toward more socially and environmentally governance of EI sector.
The expected outputs are:
1) CSOs have obtained and used spaces for dialogue with and gainedrecognitions from government ministries and mining companies to promote responsible mining investment in Cambodia;
2) Ministry of Mines and Energy and Ministry of Environment are open and recognized CSOs as critical actors to improve transparency, social andenvironmental policies and social and environmental performance of mining Companies.
The keyactivities include:
- Conduct action research (case studies) to provide evidence based environmental impacts of mining projects.
- Develop and implement communication and engagement strategies how to use the case studies and EIA checklist to improve understandingand supports of stakeholders in discussion with Oxfam in Cambodia and members of EISEI network.
- Organize a retreat with EISEI network membersto develop a concept note how to strengthen EISEI secretariat in consultation with funding partners including Oxfam in Cambodia
- Build and strengthen capacity and awareness raising of affected people, community mining focal persons, and organization onCorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR), social and environmental impacts, and EIA Report Review and EMP Checklist Tools
- Facilitate the dialogue meeting regarding conflicts/disputes between communities and the mining companies at sub-national level
- Engage withprivate sector to promote community engagement, responsible investment, and CSR Platform
- Develop CSO engagement strategies with EIGFforum and other forums and Coordinate the implementation of CSO engagement strategies
- Provide inputs, comments, andrecommendations on legislation and policy development and implementation at the national level.