The third Africa-wide Cross Network meeting on the African Mining Vision held in Ghana from June 26-29.

The third edition of the Africa-wide Cross Network meeting on the African Mining Vision, AMV, held in Ghana from June 26-29, hosted by the Third World Network Africa, TWN. The conference which saw about 50 delegates including representatives of African civil society networks/coalitions and social constituencies from labour movements, mining-affected community groups, artisanal and small-scale mining organisations, gender groups as well as the media, met to discuss and improve understanding of the AMV.

The short and long-term goal of the AMV is the creation of institutions that support a transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources. During the meeting, discussions were centred on mining revenues, building human and institutional capacities, artisanal and small-scale mining and small-scale mining to advance sustainable and rural socio-economic development. Environmental and social issues, to create the mining sector that is environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and appreciated by all stakeholders and surrounding communities were also under discussion as well as linkages and diversification to create a mining sector that catalyses and contributes to broad-based growth and development through upstream, downstream, side stream and infrastructure, among others.

The meeting was expected to generate a common understanding about opportunities and challenges for civil society advocacy around the African mining reform agenda and make inputs and contributions to the business plan of African Minerals Development Centre, AMDC. At term, participants made contributions which are expected to be integrated in the AMDC document to be discussed in the next meeting with UNECA and the African Development Bank.

Following measures put in place to preserve Africa’s mineral resources; the African Mining Vision, AMV, was set up to transform the mining sector away from its colonially-created enclave features. The vision was agreed by African Heads of State and African Union governments in 2009 in a Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.