Edward Bickham 
Senior Adviser
World Gold Council
Edward Bickham has served as a Senior Adviser to the World Gold Council on the development of the Conflict-Free Gold Standard (2010-13) and the creation of the Responsible Gold Mining Principles (since 2017) and on the interface between large-scale and artisanal and small-scale mining. He is a Trustee and Chair of the Programme Committee of international development NGO Care International UK and was Chair of the Institute of Business Ethics (2014-2019).
Edward was Executive Vice President, External Affairs of Anglo American plc (2000-2009). He has also played a prominent role in the development and implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Board member 2006-13) and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. He was a member of the working group that drafted the Gold Supplement to the OECD Guidance on the Responsible Sourcing of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. He is a Director of the International Cyanide Management Institute which oversees the Cyanide Management Code.
He was Special Adviser to the UK Foreign Secretary (1990-93) and Home Secretary (1985-88) and was also involved in the establishment of satellite broadcasting in the UK (1985-8). He graduated in law from Oxford University.
A New Era in Responsible Gold Mining - The World Gold Council Responsible Gold Mining Principles
The presentation will explain the key drivers - including investor concerns, supply chain requirements and consumer demand - for the development of the Responsible Gold Mining Principles. The Principles were developed through extensive consultation with governments, gold mining companies, supply chain participants, industry experts and civil society. They are intended to act as an industry benchmark and to create a greater consensus around what constitutes responsible gold mining. Conformance is subject to annual independent assurance