Distr.
UMTTED
12 1 March 1982
Original: ENSLJSH
ECCNCMIC COMMISSION FOR AHSCA Multinational Programning and
Operational Centre for Eastern and Southern Africa (MULPOC) Fifth neeting of the MULPOC
SnSt^Tof Officials, 17-22 March 1982
and fifth meeting of the Council of Ministers, 23-25 March 1982
THE FIRST REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN AFRICA
HELD IN ARUSHA, UNTIH) RERJBUC OF TANZANIA IN fEBRUARY 1981:
IMPUTATIONS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 1HE IJUSAKA-BASED MULPOC
ECA/MULPOC/liisate/V/i 2
THE FIRST REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE DEVEUJPMENT AND UTILIZATICN OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN AFRICA, HELD IN ARUSHA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA IN FEBRUARY
1981- IMPLICATIONS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LUSAKA-BASED HULPOC
1 The Lagos Plan of Action adopted by the first Economic Sunndt of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Afrcan Unity
held in Lagos, Nigeria, during April 1980 states that:
"The major problems confronting Africa in the field of natural resources
development include: tte lack of information on natural resources endowment of
large and unexplored areas and the activities of transnational corporations
dealing with natural resources assessed; the lack of adequate capacity
(capital, skills and technology) for the development of these resources, a
Liderable dependence, on *rei^ transnational coitions for the develop
of a narrow range of African' natural resources selected by these corporations to supply raw material needs of the developed countries; the inadequate share » the value added generated by the exploitation of natural resources of member States due to imperfect pricing and marketing practices; non-integration of the raw materials exporting industries into the national economies of ma^er States thus impending backward and forvarxi linkages; extremely low level of development
and utilization of those natural resources that are of no interest to foreign transnational corporations-, and disappointingly low general contraiut^n of natural resources endowment to socio-economic development. Because of these ^ factors, member States are unable to exercise meaningful and permanent sovereignty
over these natural resources.
"During the 1980s the strategy for the developing countries of Africa in
their natural resources development should aim at:
"(a) undertaking the assessement of their natural resources endowments and
the use of the information on natural resources distribution and availability for
national and African multinational socis-eoonomic development projects intended
BCA/MULPOC/Losaka/V/
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to produce goods and services to meet the needs of member States;
" (b) integrating natoal resources developnent within national and African matinational socio-econondc development programs and projects so as to encourage the complementarity of the different natural resources available in various member States in the production process and to promote backward and forward linkages that the development of the natural resources
can generate within the African economies;
" (O undertaking comprehensive manpower, technology and capital needs
surveys for natural resources dsvelopment activities with a view to enabling the countries to pool their resources for the implementation of national and African natural resources development programmes and projects;
" (d) strengthening existing rational end African multinational institutions dealing with natural resources development and conservation activities at all levels including training, research, production, processing, fabrication,
marketing, finance, etc. and the establishment of new ones;
" (e) harmonizing the national neural resources developnent policies with
a view to creating a favourable environment for co-operative efforts ty member States in the development of thair natural resources to meet the socio-econanic
needs of their peoples; and
11 (f) working closely with, the international community and other non-
African agencies involved in natural resources development in the region so that external resources ar* directed prir.cip.aiy to natural resources development projects which promote a*i ^.ain co-operative ^r^cr,znts among member States in order to enable the region to-obtain the fullest possible development benefits
flowing from regional linkages." 1/
1/ A/S-ll/14, annex I, chapter III, paras 76 and 77.
ECA/MUIPOC/Uosaka/V/12 Page 3
2. Taking into account the above mentioned considerations, the first Regional Conference on the Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources in Africa held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, during February 1981 adopted concrete measures for the development and utilization of mineral resources in Africa at the national1; subregional, regional levels, in the following main areas: the building up of technical knowledge of the mineral resource base; the development of capabilities for mineral extraction and processing and for marketing of
mineral products; development of intra-African markets for minerals and mineral products; manpower developnent; development of mineral exploration, mining and processing equipment industries; research and development; creation of financing investment and insurance institutions; and the protection of the environment.
The subregional and regional erecommendations are listed below to enable "toe Lusaka-based MULPOC to determine ways and means of implementing them.
Building up of technical knowledge of the mineral resource base
3. The Governments of the States members of the subregion were urged to
establish an inventory of their mineral resources and in particular to take all measures necessary for the effective functioning of the Eastern and Southern African Mineral Resources Development Centre established in 1977 to provide such services to the countries, as: assessement of their mineral resource endowments provision of specialized laboratory services; provision of short-term practical courses for technical personnel in various fields connected with mineral
resources developsnent; collection, processing and dissemination of data and information among the member States on mineral resources development; and the promotion of technical co-operation among the countries in the development and utilization of these resources. Although in the Lagos Plan of Action, the Heads of State and Government directed that those States members of the subregion not yet participating in the Centre should do so by the end of 1980, to- date only five out of the 18 countries of the subregion are actively participating in the project which is most suited for the implementation of the Arusha recommendations on building up the technical knowledge of the mineral resource base of the
subregion.
ECA/MULPOC/LiasaJca/V/ i 2 Page 4
Development of national and multinational capabilities for mineral extraction and processing and for marketing of mineral products
4. The Arusha Conference recommended that information on the mineral resource base of the subregion should be used in the development of subregional mineral resource-based industries; that African subregional mining, processing and marketing institutions should be established to undertake mineral resources
development in the subregion; that mineral production data and information within the subregion should be disseminated among the countries as a means of promoting trade in mineral raw materials and mineral products among member States; and that study tours to selected countries by officials responsible for mineral
resources development of the Governments of the subregion should be promoted with a view to gaining experience on the establishment and operation of multinational institutions for mineral resources development.
Development of intra-African markets for minerals and mineral products
5. The Arusha Conference recommended that p>eriodic multinational or regional consultations by mineral producing and/or exporting countries on international trends affecting their specific minerals and mineral pzroducts be held; that seminars/workshops on the roles and prospects of individual major minerals and mineral products in regional development be organised; and that special considera tion be given to projects within the United Nations Transport and Communication Decade as they affect the transportation of mineral raw materials and mineral products within and out of the subregion.
Manpower development
6. The Arusha Conference recommended that consultations at the multinational and regional levels be organised on possibilities of optimizing the use or
development of education and training facilities; that existing subregional and regional training centres should be supported; and that student and qualified personnel exchange programmes should be pfromoted.
ECA/MUU)X/lusaWV/l 2
Page 5
it-of national and international mineral,
luitment
and
7
The Arusha Conferee recanted that study visits should be organized to thi^-world counties on procedures and experiences to the orgna^txon
of national and nultinational State nanufac^ing enterpr^es for
t SL of equipment, **!—., tools and other supplies for noneral
exploration, evaluation, extraction and processing, and ^^^^i
Zt consultations, based on detailed analyses of inputs to the non^g
should be arranged ancng State *i^ enterpri.es on the possaiulxty °
.f.ioan products of, a^ trade in sta^i^ed <^-^£
i^len^ts, tools and other supplies for.tne ndnix>g a^try; and that
Ttional ^-African negotiations should be organized for *e «***-* of
ional enterprises (include joint enterprises or contract services vath companies) for the production and noting of standardized W"£-
fand events, i^len^ts, tool, and o^er products for the nn.nng industry,
for sindlaf equipnent and supplies for nedium and snall^cale numng.
Besearch and
8 the Arasha Conference reoon^ended that analyses should be made of industrial property rights (including trade Karks) in parts and components, chemxeal and
SnX for the .ining industry as guides to production and /or negot^on 2 the Lulation of policies and strategies; that R and D shouM be o^azed
on a nultinationaUbasis relating to standardization of equipment and other
supplies for the fining industry, with special reference to n,edium-and snail-scale
ndning; that regional mechanise should be established for monitoring trends on
technological change in .dneral expaoration, ndning and processing, for considera
tion of the plication of such change 'or .ining in Africa, and for providing
advice to Governments and mning companies; and that sutdies should be rcade of
new capital/labour mixes in exploration technology *ich favour the utilasation
of hand-held, back-packed and other nobile equipment and of sem-skilled labour.
ECA/MJLPOC/Uisaka/V/12 Rage 6
Recaimendations for'which: EX&--w^
member States :'■.-:'■"■\\::.*L v "~- .■.■:■■■■■
9. Several other.Arusha Conference recairoehdatibns'of in1ier*est at the suregional an<J regional levels are to be1 implemented by 1the' EGA Secretariat with .the,; .., support of member States. These include such reccmnendati^ns as:
(a) The establishment within ECA of a regional advisory, service to
assist Governments in technical policy, legislative and.other matters .relating to mineral resources development;. (b) The undertaking of feasdiility studies for regional and subregional .
institutions for the mobilization of finance and for: investment in.mineral exploration and mineral development projects in the African
region; ' ■ ■■ ; ■ -, ...
(c) The undertaking of feasibility studies on the establishment of . , African, insurance companies at the regional and subregional levels
to provide cover against the risks involved in explorations processing, marketing and transportation of mineral resources; ,v ,
■■"■■■■- (d) "i The, undertaking of s-fudies on problems of financing, intra-African
toade in m^erals and m^
r role of barter arrangements; : '
(e) The speedy undertaking of studies on the establishment of an African metals exchange designed to serve the needs of intra-
■ African tradeV ■ - .:
(f) The classification and storage of aH-available information on all aspects of mineral resources and mining, primarily for the use of Governments and of national and multinational ■parastatals; .. i (g). The provision of assistance to Governments in the development of
: national documentation and information systems for ail aspects of
the developnent of mineral resources and in the training of local staff for the operation of such systems; and
ECA/MULPOC/IusaWV/i 2
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