Criterion: Cultural Heritage
Where cultural heritage may be affected: policy commitment, baseline identification and mapping, chance find procedures, action plans to prevent adverse impacts, and continued stakeholder access to cultural heritage sites.
Full Description
SHR04 Cultural Heritage
Standard Section: 9.4 Category: Social Human Rights Scheme: Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) Standard Version: 2.0 for Piloting (effective April 30, 2025)
Overview
Where cultural heritage may be affected: policy commitment, baseline identification and mapping, chance find procedures, action plans to prevent adverse impacts, and continued stakeholder access to cultural heritage sites.
Requirements
If the initial ESG risk assessment conducted for the Facility, as described in Section 6.6, determines that there are areas of cultural or historical significance that may be affected by the Facility's operations, then the Facility shall:
- 9.4.1 Establish a documented policy that includes a commitment to respect cultural heritage sites and cultural rights related to heritage.
- 9.4.2 Establish a baseline that includes identification and mapping of cultural heritage sites within the property boundaries of each Facility.
- 9.4.3 Establish chance find procedures that outline actions to be taken if previously unknown cultural heritage is discovered, where the impact assessment determined that the operational activities are located in areas where cultural heritage is expected to be found.
- 9.4.4 Implement action plans to prevent and mitigate risks of adverse impacts on cultural heritage and on related cultural rights in consultation with affected stakeholders.
- 9.4.5 Ensure affected stakeholders have continued access to cultural heritage sites.
- 9.4.6 Establish a procedure to provide for or participate in remedy if adverse impact on cultural rights of affected stakeholders arises, including investigating the root causes of the incident.
- 9.4.7 Where the Facility determines that there are no cultural heritage impacts are in scope, they shall document their findings and provide evidence of how they conducted the assessment.
Source: RMI Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks, Version 2.0 for Piloting (April 2025), Section 9.4
Profiles using this criterion
Responsible Minerals Assurance Process
Conformity Alignment
Meets
Pass: Yes
Definition: "Where cultural heritage risks are identified, the facility has a documented policy committing to respect cultural heritage, established a baseline mapping of cultural heritage sites within facility boundaries, established chance find procedures where applicable, implemented action plans to prevent and mitigate risks to cultural heritage, ensured stakeholder access to cultural heritage sites, and established a procedure for remedy in the event of an adverse impact on cultural rights."
Partially Meets
Pass: No
Definition: "Cultural heritage management exists but is incomplete: e.g., policy exists but baseline mapping has not been conducted, chance find procedures are not established where required, action plans to protect cultural heritage are incomplete, or affected stakeholders do not have assured access to cultural heritage sites."
Remediation: 180 days
Does Not Meet
Pass: No
Definition: "No documented cultural heritage policy, no baseline mapping of cultural heritage sites within the facility area, no chance find procedures, or no action plans to protect cultural heritage."
Remediation: 90 days
Priority
Pass: No
Definition: "Priority findings are not raised against this criterion. Cultural heritage violations are assessed under Does not Meet."
Remediation: 30 days
Not Applicable
Pass: Yes
Definition: "This criterion is not applicable where the ESG risk assessment determines that no areas of cultural or historical significance are affected by the facility's operations. The facility must document the assessment methodology and findings."
Not Able To Assess
Pass: No
Definition: "The assessor was unable to access cultural heritage assessments, baseline mapping, or interview affected stakeholders and cultural heritage experts to verify the facility's management of cultural risks."
Change Log
1.0.0 (2026-06-24)
Initial release.