© 2012 Economic Commission for Africa
AU Ministers Responsible for Mineral Resources Development to meet in Addis Ababa
ECA Press Release No. 149/2011
Addis Ababa, 7 December 2011 (ECA) - The Department of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission and the Regional Integration and Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are organizing the Second African Union Conference of Ministers Responsible for Mineral Resources Development, to be held on 12 -16 December 2011. The theme of the Conference to be held at the Conference Hall of the African Union Commission is “Building a Sustainable Future for Africa’s Extractive Industry: From Vision to Action”.
According to the organizers, Africa possesses massive mineral resources and has a long history of mining, but galvanizing development across the continent has seen little progress. In 2009 the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) adopted by the AU Heads of State and Government provided a diagnosis of the problem. At the December meeting, a new comprehensive report, Minerals and Africa’s Development that has recently been published will accompany the AMV and serve as a major resource. It is expected to form a template for an action plan agreed at the Conference.
A key problem, according to the AMV, is that much large-scale mining in Africa is still conducted in enclaves. Moreover, it is cut off economically and socially from the host countries. With nearly all minerals and much of the revenue being shipped out of the Continent, there is little opportunity for African economies to develop. The situation has changed little since colonial times.
The AMV emphasizes that African nations should revisit their mining policies. Accordingly, the thrust of the AMV is more than just about taxing and spending. It advocates opening out the mining enclaves by forging more local links.
In addition, the AMV advocates that instead of enclaves there should be clusters of businesses. And, instead of closed infrastructure that only services the mines, there should be "corridors of development that are accessible to all kinds of business, large and small."
The two collaborating organizations, the AUC and the ECA underscore that it is only African Governments that can provide the strategic planning framework to bring together mining and development in this way. With so many landlocked countries and so many mineral resources stranded for lack of infrastructure and markets, cooperation and strategic planning is the only way that African business can grow.
The Conference will bring together African Ministers Responsible for Mineral Resources Development, African experts in mining and mineral resources development, representatives of African Chambers of Mines and Industry, African Private Sector, Academia, UN agencies and NGOs and other relevant development partners.
More: www.africaminingvision.org Contact:
Ms. Mercy Wambui [email protected] Or:
Ms. Esther Azaa Tankou
E-mail off: [email protected] Issued by:
ECA Information and Communication Service P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Tel: 251 11 5445098 Fax: +251-11-551 03 65 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.uneca.org
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