SAMA Resources and its subsidiaries are committed to proactive and sustainable environmental management and community best practice policies. Policy statements in each specific area are contained in this document
In respect of the above the Company will:
The Company strives to conduct responsible and sustainable exploration and mining development. To that goal, The Company will ensure that wherever possible and necessary it will develop local policies and procedures that will minimize the impact of exploration and mining on the natural landscape and local communities, and which will ensure a safe and healthy environment for the communities and natural resources, including wildlife, that may reside in the areas where exploration and possible subsequent mining may occur.
The above principles will also apply in respect of the approach to health and safety for all employees and those individuals, communities and companies that may become involved with or affected by the planned exploration programme, and all subsequent evaluation and mining programmes.
Appropriate community liaison, disclosure and engagement will be undertaken at all stages by SAMA Resources. The level of consultation and disclosure will increase with the increased scale of activities.
OUR ENGAGEMENT
Therefore, our commitment to Sustainable Development is to conduct our activities according to the ten fundamental principles as developed by the International Council for Mining and Metals (ICMM). These principles are:
SAMA Resources is committed at implementing comprehensive health & safety policies including environmental, work and community (HSEC) guidance’s. These policies and guidances are actively communicated to The Company’s leaders, its team, its contractors, and its partners to ensure that they are actively applied, reviewed and improved.
These policies are intended to ensure that SAMA Resources and its subsidiaries adhere to best standards on health, safety, environment, and community during exploration and the subsequent project development. In addition, the company would ensure evaluation of contractors and suppliers activities according to these standards.
The diagram below shows the path for an effective management of health, safety, environmental, labour and the community policies and guidelines. It is based on various standards: health and safety (OHSAS 18000), the standards of the international management system of environment (ISO 14000) and on environmental and social performance standards international.
Health and Safety Policy
We are committed to :
SAMA Resources anticipates that all employees and contractors will work safely at all times. The recognition of a strong leadership at all levels of the company is essential to ensure optimal performance of safety and health.
Environmental Policy
The Company believes that good environmental management at every exploration stage, prospect, and mine site, proactive health and safety procedures, transparent interaction with local communities, and implementation of prudent expenditure and business performance, constitutes the foundation for successful exploration and sustainable development.
The Company believes in good environmental stewardship and strives to apply best management practices at all stages of exploration and project development activities.
The Company will develop and implement appropriate procedures for different stages of its surveys, ground exploration, prospecting and evaluation, and development work.
We are committed to :
The respect of this commitment will place SAMA Resources as a proactive company in the environmental protection field.
People
SAMA Resources wishes to achieve growth and performance, thus providing personal and financial independence for our employees and to their communities now and in the future.
OUR CONVICTIONS
SAMA Resources is convinced that the success of our operations is linked to the concerns and aspirations of the people they affect. Our “Social license” to operate comes from our host communities, our employees, our business partners, suppliers, our shareholders and our customers. We must institutionalize and demonstrate respect for our employees and to communities in which we operate.
Community Relations Policy
Proactive interaction with the stakeholders that the Company’s exploration and development programmes may impact on is considered an essential part of the long-term investment that the Company is planning in Côte d’Ivoire.
The company recognizes that from the inception of the programme, and as the project progresses it will be important to:
Communicate and interact proactively with any community and role player that may be affected by its programmes;
Apply best international practices to ensure that we have Free, Prior, and Informed Consent from all stakeholders that may be impacted upon by exploration, evaluation and development.
In these respects, the company will work actively and transparently with Government authorities, other elected parties, non-governmental organizations, and the communities themselves to ensure that they (the communities) are aware of the activities of the Company, and that the impact on communities are avoided or mitigated.
At the point that drilling, evaluation and other such programmes are implemented the Company will endeavour to identify how the impacts of such work on communities can best be managed, and how benefits can best be provided to communities through the activities of the Company.
SAMA Resources:
Local Content
SAMA Resources acknowledges that building strong partnership with its host communities is intrinsic to The Companies’ long-term business sustainability.
To that end, The Company is committed to local recruitment and local procurement wherever possible. This is not just a commitment to positive social impact in its areas of operation, but also provides competitive advantage. For example, as its operations employ essentially all Ivorian/West African staff the company was able to maintain operations in Côte d’Ivoire during the recent period of political instability. This provided much needed work at a time when most other (larger and much better resourced) companies had shut down operations and evacuated staff.
Local procurement and local recruitment provide tremendous added value to SAMA Resources’ host communities, help achieve and maintain its social licence to operate, and mitigates both internal and external social risks.
As we continue to grow, the Company remains focused on ensuring all our people are trained and competent to safely.
Community Development
Beyond local content, SAMA Resources also seeks to add further value and contribute to the wellbeing of its host communities by conducting community development projects. Since exploration started in 2010, SAMA Resources has installed and renovated water pumps in several villages surrounding the working areas, this includes Yorodougou, Samapleu, Gangbapleu and Zacoma villages. It has also renovated primary schools and provided furniture in numerous villages. SAMA renovated the nurses’ accommodation in Yorodougou.
During the course of the exploration programs, the Company opened-up more than 150 kilometers of access roads in enclaved areas and giving much needed access to remote settlements.
The Company Values are the primary tool used across the business to develop our leaders, guide employee behaviours, inform key management decisions and, ultimately, lay the foundation for our organisational culture. Our priority now it is to embed the Company values across the workforce to create a common understanding and instill ownership.
Respecting the basic human rights and dignity of our people and the communities in which we operate is fundamental to ensuring our sustainability. As we continue to grow, the Company will ensure it remains aligned with international human rights standards at all times and expects the same of its key contract partners.
HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY
SAMA Resources recognizes that the pursuit of economic growth through employment creation and income generation should be accompanied by protection of fundamental rights of workers.
In this context, SAMA Resources is committed to: