Representatives of United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights visit Zijin Copper in Bor

The interim report that we will present to the Serbian public on October 15 will be short, but we will balance all the positive effects that you have achieved, which are undeniable, with areas where there is still room for improvement, said Lyra Jakuleviciene, a representative of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. She made this statement during a visit to Bor, during which the working group met with the management of Serbia Zijin Copper.

– The mining sector is not a sector that does not have an impact on the environment and human rights – she stated.

The aim of the visit was to get informed about the company’s further plans and the challenges that Serbia Zijin Copper faces in the implementation of current and future business activities. The UN delegation presented to the General Director of Serbia Zijin, Qiu Guozhu, the mandate of the Working Group as well as issues of importance for its work, primarily on the implementation of UN principles in the field of business, business entities and human rights.

– We are independent experts dealing with human rights. We are not interested in politics, we do not work for any company or government. We collect information on the ground and that is why we wanted to come to Bor. Not all companies will allow such a visit and that is why we are grateful that you opened your doors to us. We look at issues in the field of business and human rights from our own perspective, business entities probably do not have the same view and that is why it was important for us to meet with you and to take into account everything we heard from you when compiling the interim report – added Jakuleviciene.

Qiu Guozhu emphasized that it was necessary to invest a lot of energy, effort and investment in improving, above all, the historical heritage of a century of mining in that region because seven years was too short to completely put in order what had been neglected for decades.

– Your guidelines in promoting the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights around the world are closely aligned with our corporate vision and values. We constantly align our operations with the best international practices in the areas of human rights, labor, safety and environmental protection and we firmly believe that responsible business conduct is not only an obligation, but also a key driver of sustainable local development. Therefore, we respect the principles of openness, transparency, cooperation and mutual benefit – said Qiu.

At the meeting that followed the tour of the metallurgy complex, the implementation of current mining projects, the implementation of environmental protection principles, cooperation with the local community and corporate social responsibility were discussed. During the meeting, it was emphasized that the company had paid the greatest attention in the past period to the area of environmental protection, the statement says.

They stated that numerous measures had been implemented to improve the quality of air, water and soil, which had yielded excellent results compared to the period before the arrival of the strategic partner.

Representatives of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights emphasized that Zijin was one of the few companies that had included a complaint mechanism for employees in its operations.

Serbia Zijin Copper doo Bor

Serbia Zijin Copper Bor

United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Lyra Jakuleviciene

Qiu Guozhu