OECD Step 5: why we publish our responsible sourcing reports

Most of what a refinery publishes about itself is a choice. Its responsible sourcing assurance report is not.

What Step 5 requires

The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas sets out a five-step framework for mineral supply chain due diligence. Step 5 is public disclosure: a refiner is expected to report annually on its due diligence practices and to have that reporting independently assured by a third party.

The UAE’s due diligence regulations for responsible sourcing of gold implement this framework domestically, and industry bodies including the DMCC and LBMA require refiners in their programmes to publish their compliance report and third-party assurance report as a condition of participation.

Why this matters to a counterparty

A bank or trading counterparty doing due diligence on a refiner is not just checking that a report exists — they are checking that it is public, current, and signed by an independent assurance provider. A refinery that cannot produce this, or produces it only privately on request, is a materially different proposition from one that publishes it for anyone to read.

Where to find ours

Our responsible sourcing assurance reports and refiner compliance report are published, unaltered, in our document library. We treat this the way the obligation is written: as a disclosure requirement, not a trust badge to be polished before release.