International Mining Regulations Through A Constructivist Paradigm

Megan De Vries

The creation of the Global Mining Initiative saw the CEOs of the world’s largest mining companies come together from 1998-2002 to approach the social and environmental concerns voiced by many actors regarding the global impact of the mining industry (Tost et al., 2017). This paper shows that the creation and continued use of the Global Mining Initiative can be explained using a constructivist lens. By looking at the history of international mining regulations, constructivist explanations showcase how norms and cultures overtime encouraged the formation of institutions and relationships between stakeholders. The role of ideas, the impact of global norms on mining actors as well as mining actors attempts to influence global norms are explored. This allows for the showcasing of how the interaction between both actors and structures is not a one-way relationship, but one that changes given the interaction of all participants when looked at through a constructivist lens. 

Constructivism; International Relations; Political Science Mining; Constructivism; International Regulations