Home Artisanal mining Artisanal mining zones: Installation of the multi-stakeholder evaluation and monitoring committee

Artisanal mining zones: Installation of the multi-stakeholder evaluation and monitoring committee

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The installation of the multi-stakeholder evaluation and monitoring committee in artisanal mining areas took place on the 14th of October 2022 in Ouagadougou during a ceremony. It is the work of the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and the Integrated Development Authority of the Liptako-Gourma States (ALG) with the financial support of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU).

The establishment of the committee is part of the implementation of a pilot project to develop multi-stakeholder risk assessment and monitoring committees in artisanal production areas in the Liptako-Gourma member states (Burkina, Mali and Niger). Covering the period from June to December 2022, this project aims to improve the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict and High Risk Areas.

The committee aims to work towards improving and reducing the risks of gold coming out of artisanal sites in a way that respects human rights, with well known traceability and that reassures international buyers of its value. A similar committee will be implemented in Niger and Mali. For Jacob Ouédraogo, representative of the Burkina Faso committee, the challenge is great. “We must have monitoring mechanisms to ensure that our mineral resources are not exploited by armed terrorist groups or that exploitation does not take place in clandestine sites, despite terrorism and the low level of formalisation of artisanal sites in our three countries” he said.

According to the representative of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Mines and Quarries, this committee will allow through a dynamic and flexible process to have data, analyze them, propose solutions to risks and impacts and monitor these risks.  According to him, annual artisanal production in 2017 was estimated at 9.5 tonnes for a monetary income of 232.2 billion FCFA from gold mining in 2016. However, only a tiny fraction is recorded by their technical services.  That is why his ministry encourages initiatives like this committee.

The Executive Secretary of ALG, Hawa Aw hopes that the initiative is the beginning of a strengthened partnership that will contribute to the development of the economies and the security of the mining sites of the ALG states. She called on the partners to take a holistic approach and pay more attention to the many other challenges around the mining areas by moving towards the final formalisation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector (EMAPE).

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