Kinross' Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for the stewardship of, and the supervision and coaching of the management of, the business and affairs of Kinross and must act in the best interests of Kinross.  The Board of Directors will discharge its responsibilities directly and through its committees, currently consisting of an Audit Committee, Human Resource, Compensation and Nomination Committee, Environmental and Health and Safety Committee, Risk Committee and Corporate Governance Committee.  The Board of Directors shall meet regularly to review the business operations and corporate governance and financial results of Kinross.  Meetings of the Board of Directors shall include regular meetings with management to discuss specific aspects of the operations of Kinross.  The "Independent" board members shall also hold separate, regularly scheduled meetings at which management is not in attendance

The Board of Directors shall be constituted at all times of a majority of individuals who are "independent directors" in accordance with applicable legal requirements, including the requirements published by the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Corporate Governance Rules of the New York Stock Exchange, as such rules are revised, updated or replaced from time to time.  In addition at least three of the independent directors shall be "independent directors" in accordance with applicable legal requirements for service on an audit committee.  A copy of the independence requirements is reproduced in Schedule "A" attached hereto.

The Board of Directors' responsibilities include, without limitation to its general mandate, the following specific responsibilities:

• Reviewing and approving all annual and interim financial statements and related footnotes, management's discussion and analysis, earnings releases and the annual information form
• Approving the declaration of dividends, the purchase and redemption of securities, acquisitions and dispositions of material capital assets and material capital expenditures.
• Appointing a Chair of the Board of Directors who is an independent director who will be responsible for the leadership of the Board of Directors and for specific functions to enhance the independence of the Board of Directors.
• The assignment to committees of directors of the general responsibility for developing Kinross' approach to: (i) corporate governance issues and nomination of board members; (ii) financial reporting and internal controls; (iii) environmental compliance; (iv) health and safety compliance; (v) risk management; and (vi) issues relating to compensation of officers and employees.
• Succession planning, including the selection, appointment, monitoring, evaluation and, if necessary, the replacement of the Chief Executive Officer and other executives, and assisting in the process so that management succession is, to the extent possible, effected in a manner so as not to be disruptive to Kinross' operations. The Board will, as part of this function, satisfy itself as to the integrity of the Chief Executive Officer and other executives and that such Chief Executive Officer and executives create and maintain a culture of integrity throughout the Kinross organization.
• With the assistance of the Human Resources, Compensation and Nominating Committee:
  • Overseeing the provision of appropriate orientation and education to new recruits to the Board of Directors and ongoing continuing education to existing directors.
  • Approving the compensation of the senior management team and establishing compensation and shareholding requirements for directors and disclosing such compensation and shareholdings
  • Reviewing the composition of the Board and considering if an appropriate number of independent directors sit on the Board of Directors.
  • Overseeing an appropriate selection process for new nominees to the Board of Directors is in place.
  • Appointing directors or recommending nominees for election to the Board of Directors at the annual and general meeting of shareholders, on the recommendation of the Human Resources, Compensation and Nominating Committee.
• With the assistance of the Corporate Governance Committee:
  • Developing Kinross' approach to corporate governance, including developing a set of corporate governance principles and guidelines specific to Kinross.
  • The assessment, at least annually, of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors as a whole, the committees of the Board of Directors and the contribution of individual directors, including consideration of the appropriate size of the Board of Directors.
• With the assistance of the Audit Committee:
  • Reviewing the integrity of Kinross' internal control and management information systems.  Overseeing compliance with laws and regulations, audit and accounting principles and Kinross' own governing documents.
  • Selecting, appointing, determining the remuneration of and, if necessary, replacing the independent auditors.
  • Assessing the independence of the auditors.
  • Identification of the principal financial and controls risks facing Kinross and review of management's systems and practices for managing these risks.
  • Review and approval of significant accounting and financial matters and the provision of direction to management on these matters. 
  • With the assistance of the Risk Committee, the identification of the principal business rules (including political risks) facing Kinross (other then financial risks reviewed by the Audit Committee and environmental and health on safety risks reviewed by the Environment, Health and Safety Committee) and review of management's systems and processes for managing such risks.
• With the assistance of the Environmental and Health and Safety Committee:
  • Overseeing the development and implementation of policies and practices of Kinross relating to environmental issues and compliance with environmental laws.
  • Overseeing the development and implementation of policies and practices of Kinross relating to health and safety issues and compliance with health and safety laws.
• With the assistance of the Officer responsible for investor relations, monitor and review feedback provided by Kinross' various stakeholders.
• Approving securities compliance policies, including communications policies of Kinross and review of these policies at least annually.
• Overseeing the accurate reporting of Kinross' financial performance to shareholders on a timely and regular basis and taking steps to enhance the timely disclosure of any other developments that have a significant and material impact on Kinross.
• The adoption of a strategic planning process, approval and review, on an annual basis of a strategic plan that takes into account business opportunities and business risks identified by the Risk Committee and monitoring performance against the plan.
• The review and approval of corporate objectives and goals and expectations applicable to senior management personnel of Kinross.
• Defining major corporate decisions which require Board approval and approving such decisions as they arise from time to time.
• Obtaining periodic reports from management on Kinross' operations including, but without limitation, reports on security issues surrounding Kinross' assets (property and employees) and the protection mechanisms that management has in place.
• Ensuring that this Charter is disclosed on a yearly basis to the shareholders in Kinross' management information circular prepared for the annual and general meeting of shareholders or other disclosure document or on Kinross' website.
• Performing such other functions as prescribed by law or assigned to the Board of Directors in Kinross' constating documents and by-laws.

1. The members of the Board are expected to attend all meetings of Board of Directors unless prior notification of absence is provided.
2. The members of the Board are required to have reviewed board materials in advance of the meeting and be prepared to discuss such materials at the meeting.
3. The Board shall provide contact information on the website of Kinross of an independent director responsible for receiving feedback from shareholders and such director will report to the whole Board on a regular basis on the feed back received. 

 Independence Requirements of National Instrument 52-110 - Audit Committees ("NI 52-110")

A member of the Board shall be considered "independent" if he or she has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company.  A material relationship is a relationship which could, in the view of the Board, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a director's independent judgment.

The following individuals are considered to have a material relationship with the Company:

(a) an individual who is, or has been within the last three years, an employee or executive officer of the Company;

(b) an individual whose immediate family member is, or has been within the last three years, an executive officer of the Company;

(c) an individual who:

(i)  is a partner of a firm that is the Company's internal or external auditor;
(ii) is an employee of that firm; or
(iii) was within the last three years a partner or employee of that firm and personally worked on the Company's audit within that time;

(d) an individual whose spouse, minor child or stepchild, or child or stepchild who shares a home with the individual:

(i) is a partner of a firm that is the Company's internal or external auditor;(ii)  is an employee of that firm and participates in its audit, assurance or tax compliance (but not tax planning) practice, or
(iii) was within the last three years a partner or employee of that firm and personally worked on the Company's audit within that time;

(e) an individual who, or whose immediate family member, is or has been within the last three years, an executive officer of an entity if any of the Company's current executive officers serves or served at the same time on the entity's compensation committee; and

(f) an individual who received, or whose immediate family member who is employed as an executive officer of the Company received, more than $75,000 in direct compensation from the Company during any 12 month period within the last three years, other than as remuneration for acting in his or her capacity as a member of the Board of Directors or any Board committee, or the receipt of fixed amounts of compensation under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior service for the Company if the compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service.

In addition to the independence criteria discussed above, for audit committee purposes, any individual who:

(a) has a relationship with the Company pursuant to which the individual may accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the Company or any subsidiary entity of the Company, other than as remuneration for acting in his or her capacity as a member of the board of directors or any board committee; or as a part-time chair or vice-chair of the board or any board or committee, or

(b) is an affiliated entity of the Company or any of its subsidiary entities, is deemed to have a material relationship with the Company, and therefore, is deemed not to be independent.

The indirect acceptance by an individual of any consulting, advisory or other fee includes acceptance of a fee by:

(a) an individual's spouse, minor child or stepchild, or a child or stepchild who shares the individual's home; or

(b) an entity in which such individual is a partner, member, an officer such as a managing director occupying a comparable position or executive officer, or occupies a similar position (except limited partners, non-managing members and those occupying similar positions who, in each case, have no active role in providing services to the entity) and which provides accounting, consulting, legal, investment banking or financial advisory services to the Company or any subsidiary entity of the Company.

Independence Requirement of NYSE Rules

A director shall be considered "independent" in accordance with NYSE Rules if that director has no material relationship with the Company that may interfere with the exercise of his or her independence from management and the Company.

In addition:

(a) A director who is an employee, or whose immediate family member is an executive officer, of the Company is not independent until three years after the end of such employment relationships.

(b) A director who receives, or whose immediate family member receives, more than $120,000 per year in direct compensation from the Company, other than director or committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service (provided such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service), is not independent until three years after he or she ceases to receive more than $120,000 per year in such compensation.

(c) A director who is (i) a current partner or employee of the Company's internal or external auditor, (ii) was within the last three years a partner or employee of the auditor and personally worked on the Company's audit during that time or (iii) whose immediate family member is a current partner of the Company's auditor, a current employee of the auditor and personally works on the Company's audit or was within the last three years a partner or employee of the auditor and personally worked on the Company's audit during that time is not "independent".

(d) A director who is employed, or whose immediate family member is employed, as an executive officer of another company where any of the Company's present executives serve on that company's compensation committee is not "independent" until three years after the end of such service or the employment relationship.

(e) A director who is an employee, or whose immediate family member is an executive officer, of a company that makes payments to, or receives payments from, the Company for property or services in an amount which, in any single fiscal year, exceeds the greater of $1 million, or 2% of such other company's consolidated gross revenues, is not "independent" until three years after falling below such threshold.

Exceptions to Independence Requirements of NI 52-110 for Audit Committee Members

Every audit committee member must be independent, subject to certain exceptions provided in NI 52-110 relating to: (i) controlled companies; (ii) events outside the control of the member; (iii) the death, disability or resignation of a member; and (iv) the occurrence of certain exceptional circumstances.