Bougainville Copper Limited is pleased to have accepted an invitation to join Bougainville’s Bel Kol Events Committee.
The Committee is responsible for the organisation of the Bel Kol ceremony. This event will be an adaptation of the traditional practice in which parties hold a ceremony to begin a process of negotiations to restore relationships.
BCL had requested to be included as part of the Committee and was subsequently invited to participate in preparations for the ceremony.
The Committee had recently closed out a phase of internal negotiations between stakeholders in central Bougainville.
With local alignment strengthened, the Committee moved focus to concentrate on preparations for the event itself and this was another factor in the timing of the invitation for BCL’s participation.
In December 2014, BCL joined a broad representation of Kieta and Panguna stakeholders and the Autonomous Bougainville Government as members of the committee.
Despite uncertainty surrounding legal tenure over its mining leases on Bougainville, BCL remains committed to the process of Bel Kol and to the deliberations of the Joint Panguna Negotiation Coordination Committee.
With more regular visits to central Bougainville, BCL will now progress fact finding with urgency to ensure the company has fulfilled its requirements for participation in the Bel Kol ceremony by mid-2015.
BCL wants to ensure there are broadly shared expectations and support for the Bel Kol ceremony. This will be achieved through discussions and interviews with a range of local stakeholders, as guided by the Events Committee.