SUSTAINABILITY Human rights
Our Human Rights Policy Statement is informed by international standards and is embedded in our Code of Conduct. It applies to all Gold Fields employees, directors, contractors and suppliers.
Our Code of Conduct, which includes our Human Rights
Policy Statement.
Due diligence
Our ongoing human rights due diligence integrates a human rights perspective into our Company-wide risk management processes across the mining lifecycle.
Our most recent due diligence assessments found that:
Additionally, we conduct independent, standalone human rights impact assessments, addressing areas such as tailings storage facilities and workplace safety. Stakeholder engagement underpins these processes, providing valuable insights into stakeholders' concerns.
All suppliers are screened monthly according to predefined risk metrics, including human rights. An interactive third-party due diligence gateway enables our procurement teams to identify risks and collaborate with suppliers to address identified concerns. If the risk cannot be mitigated, Gold Fields refrains from entering into a business relationship.
Addressing grievances
Our internal grievance mechanisms provide a framework through which our people can voice human rights concerns. The Respectful Workplace review highlighted deficiencies in these mechanisms, and in response, we reviewed our confidential hotline process during the year. The review aimed to align the process with the current environment, integrate it into the Code of Conduct, ensure secure incident reporting and promote the effective and confidential handling of matters.
We are committed to addressing community issues and concerns relating to our operations timeously and effectively, where possible. We rely on an external grievance reporting system to maintain confidence and transparent communication with our stakeholders. This mechanism enables and encourages community members to voice their complaints freely, while obligating our operations to address the grievances within an agreed period. Where our team is not able to resolve grievances, they are escalated to independent mediation.
During 2024, our operations dealt with 41 (2023: 71) grievances lodged by our communities, including 12 related to jobs and procurement, 20 to environmental-related issues and nine to social-related issues. We resolved 92% of these grievances within the agreed timeframes. The grievances that took longer to resolve mostly concerned our contractors and suppliers.
We identified 10 key human rights issues that could be adversely impacted by our business activities. Our operational teams prioritise mitigating these impacts, and the table below outlines our approach and performance during the year. In identifying these issues, we particularly focus on our workforce – including female and minority employees – and our host communities, including women, children, resettled communities and Indigenous Peoples.
The table below links each salient human rights issue to our top Group risks.
Key:
Strategic risk
Catastrophic risk
Our salient human rights issues | Link to Group risks | Our approach | 2024 performance |
Health and safety |
![]() Safety and wellbeing of our people
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We aim to balance effective management systems, strong leadership and empowering our people to make safe choices. In 2024, dss+ conducted an independent safety diagnostic across all operations. The findings, shared in a senior leadership workshop, reinforced our commitment to ensuring we deliver on our safety guarantee. To support this, we developed a safety transformation plan with dedicated governance and resources to ensure its success. |
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![]() Transportation
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Gold Fields maintains a rigorous bus transportation selection process, applying strict inspection and maintenance standards. We continuously adopt new technologies to protect employees from transport accidents. In Chile and Peru, where operations are at elevations above 3,500m and 4,500m, additional measures include mandatory satellite GPS, fatigue monitoring, vetting transport providers and checkpoints. We prioritise team travel safety, using only reputable, accredited airlines and ensuring chartered flights comply with civil aviation authority standards. All mines adhere to transportation standards, including critical control management for hazardous materials. We also developed a Transportation Standard for Explosives and Oxidising Agents. At Salares Norte, a professional hazardous materials brigade, supported by Gold Fields volunteers, is permanently on site. Although not classified as occupational, we have experienced tragic road fatalities involving employees and contractors commuting to work. We are addressing this through education and awareness campaigns on driving hazards and safe commuting practices. |
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Human resources |
![]() Access to talent required to execute strategy
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We uphold fair treatment in the workplace, guided by local legislation and International Labour Organization principles. We strongly oppose human trafficking, slavery, forced labour and child labour. Supporting freedom of association and collective bargaining, we provide site-level grievance mechanisms to ensure transparency and address workforce concerns. We are committed to increasing gender diversity, advancing women in leadership and technical roles, and achieving pay parity. Our workplace conditions accommodate diverse needs, with facility upgrades promoting dignity for all employees. We prioritise respect and the right to a safe, violence-free environment, free from discrimination and harmful behaviours. |
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Procurement |
![]() Business partner integration
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Gold Fields performs monthly due diligence on active suppliers, employing screening protocols that cover adverse media, international prohibition listings and various risk criteria (corruption, fraud, environmental, human rights, product, supply, financial, etc.). Our proactive approach involves engaging with suppliers, where assessed and determined as appropriate, to address identified material human rights risks of concern within the scope of professional business relationships. Our human rights approach includes compliance with Australian modern slavery legislation. Gold Fields is not aware of any modern slavery practices in the business. We are comfortable that the geographic location of our operations and our rigorous employment practices ensure a minimal risk of modern slavery practices, particularly concerning forced labour, within our Australian business. |
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Water |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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Access to water is a fundamental human right and a vital resource for Gold Fields’ operations. To maintain our social licence to operate, we manage our impacts on water catchment areas by ensuring we do not denude the quality or reduce the volume of water in areas surrounding our operations. |
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Mine closure |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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We integrate mining closure into our business activities to reduce our environmental and social impacts, optimise our liabilities and, where possible, enhance asset values. |
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Environmental impacts |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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We are committed to managing tailings responsibly throughout the life of an operation – from initial feasibility through to post-closure – in line with regulatory requirements and our voluntary commitment to the GISTM. Our sites comply with the Group’s TSF Management Policy and Tailings Management Standard. The Independent Geotechnical and Tailings Review Board annually reviews the two TSFs in Peru and Ghana that have “extreme” or “very high” GISTM consequence ratings. Independent parties conduct external audits on our active TSFs every three years, and we aim to conduct annual emergency response simulations and training at all our operations. We continue to enhance the resilience of our operations to mitigate the potential impact of extreme weather events, including insurance cover, flood management strategies and extreme temperature response plans. |
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Resettlement |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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Gold Fields commits to avoiding the involuntary physical or economic displacement of communities and ensuring any resettlement restores or improves livelihoods and standards of living of displaced people. We ensure all projects and operations adhere to best practice for any land acquisition, economic compensation and resettlement activities. Our approach aligns with the International Finance Corporation’s basic principles for addressing the adverse effects of involuntary resettlement, as well as relevant legislation in the countries where we operate. |
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Public security |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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Our protection services teams work with private and public security providers to effectively and responsibly protect our employees and operations. We align our operations with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), and all private security contractors receive appropriate training during their induction process, and at least annually thereafter. Our Australian operations do not use public security services, and the security function is fulfilled by suitably qualified Gold Fields employees. |
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Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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Gold Fields aims to engage with the ASM mining community respectfully and transparently, with the goal of creating shared value for our stakeholders, securing our operations and maintaining our social licence to operate. ASM is a significant source of income for communities in resource-rich developing countries including South Africa, Ghana and Peru, where we operate. ASM is often associated with illegal mining, which presents related social and environmental impacts. Where illegal mining occurs at our operations, we collaborate with government and its security agencies to uphold the law. Our security workforce is trained to manage illegal mining in line with international security and human rights standards. We also engage with host communities to prevent illegal mining or mitigate its impact. We work with our peers in national and international mining associations to engage governments to advocate for improved ASM sustainability practices and contribute to policy and regulatory development. |
Ghana
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Indigenous Peoples |
![]() Licence to operate and societal expectations
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Indigenous Peoples form part of our host communities in Australia, Chile and Canada, where we acquired full control of the Windfall project in 2024. Gold Fields respects the rights, interests, culture, perspectives and special connections to land and water of our host communities – including Indigenous Peoples – in our project design, development, operation and closure phases, and work to obtain free, prior and informed consent where projects under customary use by Indigenous Peoples are likely to have significant adverse impacts. Our engagements with Indigenous Peoples are respectful and culturally appropriate and seek to ensure their participation in decisions that affect them. |
Australia
Chile
Canada
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