The RMI welcomes submissions of grievances as part of its continuous improvement and risk management. Please review the RMI Grievance Mechanism for detailed information on the RMI's incident intake process and resolution. The purpose of this document is to outline a process which members, stakeholders and the public can utilize to raise concerns about the initiative, the audit program, protocols, audit quality and auditor competencies, mineral supply chains and upstream/downstream initiatives. The document also covers processes used to address these grievances. For grievances related to smelter and refiner operations that fall in the scope of the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), please see the section below regarding the Minerals Grievance Platform (MGP).
For RMAP assessment process related appeals, please review this document.
Kindly submit any grievances in the intake form below.
For anonymous submissions, please do not provide your contact information (only fill out Comments section).
For general questions and inquiries to RMI, including questions about CMRT and Smelter list please visit our Contact page or email RMI@ResponsibleBusiness.org.
Minerals Grievance Platform
The RMI, in collaboration with London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), lead the development of an online cross-industry platform to screen and address grievances linked to smelters and refiners present in global supply chains. To submit a grievance into the Minerals Grievance Platform (MGP), please click here.
The purpose of the Platform is to create a connected and efficient grievance review system that benefits a wide range of stakeholders and builds on existing relationships and mechanisms. The Platform will aggregate grievances associated with in-scope supply chains, provide a forum for supply chain actors to address these grievances, and provide a log of grievances that have been received and addressed for transparency and stakeholder communication. For more information, please visit the Mineral Grievance Platform.
Platform Overview
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the platform.
Development and Consultation
In 2017, the RMI initiated the consultation process on the grievance platform development with both internal and external stakeholder consultations. In January 2018, the RMI organized an Informal Advisory Group to guide and inform the initial stages of the development and design of the platform. The Informal Advisory Group provided input and guidance on a number of conceptual, technical, and governance related aspects of the platform, representing various levels of the supply chain and different potential users of the platform. The advisory group included multi-stakeholder perspectives from industry, government, civil society, and international organizations.
The Minerals Grievance Platform was launched in 2019 as a channel for the identification, review and resolution of grievances, offering a connected and efficient system that benefits a wide range of stakeholders and builds on existing mechanisms. In Phase 1 (2019-2020), launched in October 2019, the platform scope covered Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten, Gold, Silver, Cobalt and Mica. In Phase 2 (planned for 2021-2022), RMI plans to add up to 20 additional minerals considered in scope for the RMI's Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA), including base metals.
The Minerals Grievance Platform scope includes OECD Annex II risks, as well as environmental and occupational health and safety risks (OHS).
Appeals
For RMAP audit process related appeals, please review the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process Appeals Procedure here. The objective of this document is to provide a transparent procedure for receiving, evaluating, and deciding on appeals of decisions taken by the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), including for all the RMAP conformance determinations and disagreements between auditors, auditees and / or the RMI quality control process.
