The Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region (TRF-6) was honored with the Innovare Award in the Tribunal category for its coordination in structuring the New Rio Doce Agreement, acknowledging its contribution to Brazil's judicial system. BHP Brasil actively participated in the negotiations that led to the formalization of the Agreement and understands the importance of TRF-6's role in building a consensual and dialogue-based approach.

This recognition demonstrates the complexity of the solution developed to address the effects of the Fundão dam breach, operated by Samarco, in November 2015. The Agreement was structured over three years of collaborative negotiations between Public Authorities (comprised of various entities of the Federal Government, the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, as well as representatives from the Public Prosecutor's Office and Public Defender's Offices) and the companies (Samarco, BHP Brasil, and Vale).

Ricardo Machado Rabelo, Federal Judge and Vice-President of TRF-6, emphasized at the awards ceremony that the prize demonstrates confidence in democratic processes and in the justice system in Brazil. "The Brazilian Judiciary is fully capable of resolving, here, with its legislation, with its Constitution, its judges, the problems that occur in Brazil, the tragedies that occur in Brazil."

With a total value of R$170 billion, the Agreement's structure provides for a governance model that integrates multiple stakeholders, including governmental spheres, the Judiciary, oversight bodies, and civil society, with mechanisms to ensure the participation and monitoring of communities benefiting from resources and/or obligations arising from the Agreement. It also includes the allocation of resources for individual compensation, socioeconomic initiatives, and environmental recovery projects, with financial and execution commitments projected for the next 19 years.

Emir Calluf, President of BHP Brasil, highlighted the award's importance: "This recognition is a testament to the dedicated approach and collective effort in building the New Rio Doce Agreement. The award reinforces the validity of the dialogue and negotiation path we adopted, emphasizing the Brazilian justice system's potential to resolve complex situations."

BHP's Commitment to Remediation

BHP Brasil, as one of Samarco's shareholders in a joint venture, reinforces its support for Samarco in fulfilling the obligations established by the New Rio Doce Agreement. BHP maintains its commitment to transparency, continuous dialogue with communities and authorities, and ongoing support for the execution of the remediation and compensation actions defined in the Agreement. This stance aligns with BHP's global vision to promote responsible mining and seek solutions that contribute to sustainable development.