- Communicating the Responsible Mining Update
- Canada contributes to development through CSR/CRE strategy
- Discussed at a forum organized to mark 60 years of Burkina Faso-Canada friendship
Canada is the largest investor in the mining sector in Burkina Faso. The country places great emphasis on compliance with standards as part of its strategy for responsible business conduct.
In the framework of the celebration of 60 years of friendship between Burkina Faso and Canada, the CSR Forum, in partnership with the Canadian Embassy, organised on 29 November 2022, an information and experience-sharing workshop on the responsible conduct of mining in Canada.
The CSR Forum is a national initiative launched in 2013 by civil society organisations and mining companies to dialogue on Sustainable Development issues with the central objective of enabling stakeholders to find solutions and tools together to strengthen the creation of socio-economic benefits induced by the development of the mining sector. The creation of the CSR Forum in Burkina was inspired by a Canadian model of similar initiative called “The Devonshire Initiative”.
The President of the CSR Forum, Kalid Kéré, indicated that since its creation, the CSR Forum has been active in the organisation of multi-faceted activities, in particular multi-stakeholder workshops and awareness-raising sessions within the mining communities.
“It is therefore with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we are meeting with you to share information and best practices on a new concept: the Responsible Business Conduct strategy adopted by the Government of Canada, which is of major interest in our tropics in view of the strategic links between Burkina Faso and Canada,” he continued. He recalled that in April 2022: “the Canadian government adopted an updated strategy to promote responsible business conduct and made it a priority for Canadian companies operating abroad. This strategy commits Canadian companies to contribute to sustainable development and to support Canada’s commitments to human rights. This requires Canadian companies to integrate responsible business practices into all value chains of their operations in host countries”.
Kalid Kéré thanked Lee-Anne Hermann, Canada’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, for the renewed trust placed in the CSR Forum for the facilitation of this workshop to share experiences and good practices. The Canadian ambassador then underlined the positive impact of the collaboration between the two countries. She also said that “Canada prioritises the inclusive and sustainable exploitation of mines and the development of responsible conduct strategies in host countries”.
The Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Simon Pierre Boussim did not fail to welcome the initiative and the commitment of the Canadian Embassy on responsible business conduct. He also stressed the vital importance of responsible business conduct, which he said is at the heart of mining companies and others.
Simon Pierre Boussim expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration between the two countries: “the mining sector illustrates the friendship between Canada and Burkina”. He also pointed out that Canada is the largest mining investor in Burkina Faso, with an investment of approximately 1,700 billion and more than 3,000 jobs created. He especially appreciated and welcomed: “the multiparty exchange framework of the CSR Forum” and said he is attentive to the results that will emerge from these exchanges.
Rachid Ouédraogo
#Mines_Actu_Burkina
