• Continued implementation of the FEMA Project at Fekola to improve conditions for women and children in artisanal mining communities.

  • The Masbate Gold Project generated over 600 local jobs through various training and employment initiatives.

  • Established a Community Relations Office in Otjiwarongo, Namibia to provide a space to address concerns raised by employees, local communities, and civil society as a key component of the Otjikoto Mine Social Transition Plan.

B2Gold's community engagement event, ribbon cutting ceremony.

APPROACH TO MANAGING 
SOCIAL ASPECTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Our Social Responsibility and Human Rights Policy outlines our commitment to engage openly and respectfully with stakeholders, including vulnerable groups.

We respect community rights, interests, and culture, and where Indigenous Peoples are identified we consult with stakeholders through the premise of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). We recognize human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we align our approach to human rights risk management with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR).

Woman watering plants in a garden as part of a community development initiative.

Stakeholder engagement

B2Gold engages openly and respectfully with stakeholders to better understand the actual or perceived impacts of our activities, ensure stakeholder views are considered in our operational decision-making, and build constructive and responsive relationships. Our Stakeholder Engagement Performance Standard aligns with the IFC Performance Standards.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

Our approach to community investment is based on an inclusive process where the Company, communities, government, and NGO partners work together to identify, select, and implement projects. By placing decision-making in the hands of local stakeholders, B2Gold aims to ensure community ownership, strengthen local capacity and improve alignment between government, community and B2Gold priorities, leading to prosperous and healthy communities.

Students attending an e-learning class as part of a B2Gold education program.

PLANNING FOR MINE CLOSURE

B2Gold applies an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to mine closure and transition, with an awareness of the need to plan for the social and environmental changes that may occur while also ensuring the safety of communities. Our goal is to exercise integrated mine life cycle planning, to reduce closure risks and liabilities, and to create value for the business and our stakeholders.

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK MANAGEMENT

Our Grievance Management Performance Standard guides our approach to grievance management and aligns with the IFC Performance Standards and the effectiveness criteria in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

In 2022, B2Gold developed a global procedure for the Management of Community Feedback, which standardized the Company’s processes across all operations for external stakeholders to provide feedback related to the actual or perceived impacts of our activities, and to ensure that feedback is addressed and resolved in a timely, transparent and culturally appropriate manner.