The Intergovernmental Forum for Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development concluded its November 7-9 inaugural meeting at the Palais des Nations in Geneva with an agreement to continue preparations for discussions on mining at the 2010-2011 United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.
The Forum also agreed to pursue work on financial assurance instruments related to mine closures; on success factors underlying regional and local development strategies related to mining; on the integration of mining into national development strategies; on data management (including geoscience) system templates related to mining; on mineral policy frameworks; and on other subjects.
The Forum made a number of recommendations for consideration by various intergovernmental agencies and governments. These recommendations relate to capacity building and technical support in the field of mining and sustainable development, increased collaboration, information exchanges, and other forms of cooperation.
A Market Outlook Advisory Committee was established to examine mineral and metal market trends and potential constraints on international trade in mineral and metal products.
Gary Nash of Natural Resources Canada, who was elected Forum Chair, said, "The Forum will need to demonstrate value added by initiating actions that directly and tangibly increase the contribution of mining to sustainable development."
Elected vice-chairpersons were Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Mines and Energy of Ethiopia (African region); Glenn Gemerts of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Suriname (South American region); Michael Cabalda of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines (Asian region); and Nikolay Miletenko of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation (European region).
The Forum developed out of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Canada and South Africa provided aid in launching the Forum, and additional support came from UNCTAD, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the World Bank, Canada and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).
The 33 members of the Forum are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, the Philippines, Romania, the Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Zambia.
In addition to member countries, participants in the meeting included international agencies (UNCTAD, UNDESA, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization and the World Bank), the European Commission, and observers from other countries, including Chile and Thailand.
For more information, please contact:
Olle Östensson, Chief, Diversification and Natural Resources Section Commodities Branch UNCTAD, Tel.: +41 22 917 5761, Fax: +41 22 917 0509, or Olle.Ostensson@unctad.org.
Gary Nash Assistant Deputy Minister Natural Resources Canada 580 Booth Street, 10th floor Room C7-1 Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4, Canada, Tel.:(613) 992 2490, Fax: (613) 996 7425 or Gary.Nash@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
