Good Practice Guide for Contract Disclosure
13 November 2025
ICMM’s Good Practice Guide for Contract Disclosure supports practitioners in implementing ICMM members’ 2021 commitment to disclose all mineral development contracts signed with host governments from 1 January 2021. This aligns with Requirement 2.4 of the 2019 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard. The Guide clarifies areas of where interpretations may differ and highlights how companies can go beyond minimum requirements.
- Contract transparency means the public disclosure of agreements between mining companies and host governments. It is a cornerstone of responsible mineral resource governance – vital for fair benefit-sharing, reducing corruption risks, and strengthening socio-economic outcomes in mining-dependent countries.
- The energy transition is driving heightened demand for the critical minerals needed in clean energy technologies. Meeting this demand will need accelerated mine development and increased production – making transparent disclosure of mineral contracts more critical.
- Rapid development can heighten the risk of contracts being concluded hastily, with terms that do not balance risks and rewards fairly. It can also create opportunities for corruption and weaken public trust.
- Transparent disclosure of mineral contracts delivers significant benefits:
- Governments can demonstrate to citizens that agreements wth mining companies address employment, environmental, infrastructure, procurement, and payments/benefits commitments appropriately.
- Companies can demonstrate their contribution to social and economic development and strengthen trust, especially in resource-dependent countries.
- Citizens can see what a mining company has committed to do, the taxes it must pay, and when – enabling meaningful engagement.
- Contract disclosure remains a critical tool for building trust between these different groups.
- In 2021, ICMM updated its Transparency of Mineral Revenues Position Statement (first adopted in 2009), introducing an enhanced member commitment to disclose all mineral development contracts granted or entered into from 1 January 2021, unless disclosure is legally prohibited. Members are also encouraged, though not required, to disclose earlier contracts.
- This Guide supports practitioners to implement ICMM’s contract transparency commitments by clarifying areas of differing interpretation and highlighting opportunities to go beyond the minimum requirements.
