Criterion: Legal Compliance
Identification and compliance with all applicable laws and internationally recognized human rights, including maintenance of permits, monitoring systems, and records of non-compliances.
Full Description
MSG03 Legal Compliance
Standard Section: 6.3 Category: Management Systems Scheme: Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) Standard Version: 2.0 for Piloting (effective April 30, 2025)
Overview
Identification and compliance with all applicable laws and internationally recognized human rights, including maintenance of permits, monitoring systems, and records of non-compliances.
Requirements
The Facility shall:
- 6.3.1 Identify, document, and comply with all applicable laws and respect internationally recognized human rights in the countries in which they operate.
- 6.3.2 Where conflicting requirements exist, Facilities should follow the stricter of the requirements and seek means of providing the highest level of protection to the environment and human rights in alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- 6.3.3 Maintain records of permits, licenses, and approvals including information on re-application and expiration.
- 6.3.4 Establish systems and processes that enable on-going monitoring of compliance obligations and maintain documentation to demonstrate continued compliance with all legal and other requirements at the Facility.
- 6.3.5 Maintain records concerning non-compliances and legal enforcement actions and lawsuits, including information on corrective actions and resolution of such actions.
Note: RMI may adopt criteria that are more stringent than the local legal requirements of certain jurisdictions, but in no case should Facilities violate local laws to meet the requirements of this Standard.
Source: RMI Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks, Version 2.0 for Piloting (April 2025), Section 6.3
Profiles using this criterion
Responsible Minerals Assurance Process
Conformity Alignment
Meets
Pass: Yes
Definition: "Facility has a comprehensive legal register identifying all applicable laws and regulations, all required permits and licenses are current and on file, a system for ongoing monitoring of compliance obligations is implemented and documented, and records of any non-compliances and corrective actions are maintained."
Partially Meets
Pass: No
Definition: "Legal compliance system exists but is incomplete: e.g., legal register does not cover all applicable requirements, some permits are expired or missing documentation, monitoring system is not fully implemented, or records of non-compliances are not systematically maintained."
Remediation: 180 days
Does Not Meet
Pass: No
Definition: "No documented legal compliance register, or key permits and licenses are absent without justification, or no system exists to monitor ongoing compliance obligations."
Remediation: 90 days
Priority
Pass: No
Definition: "A Priority finding is raised when the facility does not hold legally required and valid licenses applicable to its physical location and type of operations (e.g., business license, mining concession), unless the facility can demonstrate that failure is due solely to administrative or procedural delays by issuing authorities."
Remediation: 30 days
Not Applicable
Pass: Yes
Definition: "This criterion is not applicable to any facility - all facilities must comply with applicable laws and maintain required permits and licenses."
Not Able To Assess
Pass: No
Definition: "The assessor was unable to access permit records, legal register, or compliance monitoring documentation to verify the facility's legal compliance status."
Change Log
1.0.0 (2026-06-24)
Initial release.