The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is the answer to a global demand for more socially and environmentally responsible mining. IRMA offers true independent third-party verification and certification against a comprehensive standard for all mined materials that provides ‘one-stop coverage’ of the full range of issues related to the impacts of industrial-scale mines.
It was founded in 2006 by a coalition of nongovernment organizations, businesses purchasing minerals and metals for resale in other products, affected communities, mining companies, and labor unions.
They envision a world where the mining industry respects the human rights and aspirations of affected communities, provides safe, healthy and supportive workplaces, minimizes harm to the environment, and leaves positive legacies.
IRMA's mission is to protect people and the environment directly affected by mining. We do this by creating financial value for mines independently verified to achieve best practices, and share this value with the businesses that purchase material from these mines.
How voting happens, who has a vote, and what weight a vote carries, is key in multi-stakeholder leadership. IRMA is a multi-stakeholder led organization, meaning that it must be accountable to all.
IRMA’s governance is equitable and shared by civil society, communities, and organized labor alongside the private sector. What this means in practice is that IRMA has a decision-making process that strives for consensus, and where consensus cannot be achieved we then vote. However, a motion to approve a decision cannot succeed if any stakeholder group is fundamentally opposed. In those cases, discussions must continue so that a resolution may be found.