Alexander Medina, Chair, IGF, gavels the meeting to a close at 5:16 pm.
Council members of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) met in a closed session on Thursday morning, on the final day of the IGF’s 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM). During the day, delegates engaged in sessions on environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA), community engagement, new technologies, UN tools for sustainable mining policies, and tax policies. Participants debated whether current technology investments by companies would result in greater profitability for businesses, and if so, how governments and local communities can benefit. They affirmed that ESIA can be a mechanism for healthy strategic development of an enterprise, rather than an obstacle. At lunchtime, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the UN Environment Global Mercury Partnership presented a handbook for countries developing national action plans for the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector, and the Inter-American Development Bank discussed fostering dialogue among stakeholders in extractive sector investments in the Latin American and Caribbean region. At the close of the AGM, Alexander Medina, IGF Chair, expressed appreciation for the excellent presentations and enriching discussions that had provided members with comprehensive material to take back to their respective governments.Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), congratulated the IGF for tackling complex and sensitive topics. She urged participants to develop advanced solutions to the challenges posed by automation and the impacts of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Nathalie Bernasconi, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), thanked all participants and expressed gratitude to UNCTAD for hosting the meeting, and Medina gaveled the AGM to a close at 5:16 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage and daily reports from the 2018 AGM. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary report from the meeting.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
L-R: Rob Verheem, National Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), the Netherlands; moderator Suzy Nikièma, International Law Advisor, IGF; Rafael Benke, Proactiva Results; and Cathryn MacCallum, SRK Consulting
Cathryn MacCallum, SRK Consulting
Moderator Suzy Nikièma, International Law Advisor, IGF
Rafael Benke, Proactiva Results
Rob Verheem, NCEA
Suzi Malan, IISD Reporting Services, poses a question to the panel
A view from the dais
Engaging Communities in the Mine Life Cycle
L-R: Alec Crawford, IGF Secretariat; Alexander Medina, Chair, IGF; André Xavier, Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI); Mónica Ospina, O Trade; moderator Wendy Tyrrell, Development Partners Institute; Joyce Nyamukunda, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association; and Agapito Alexander Rodríguez Escobar, Honduran Institute of Geology and Mines
L-R: André Xavier, CIRDI; Mónica Ospina, O Trade; and moderator Wendy Tyrrell, Development Partners Institute
L-R: Alexander Medina, Chair, IGF; André Xavier, CIRDI; and Mónica Ospina, O Trade
Moderator Wendy Tyrrell, Development Partners Institute
Joyce Nyamukunda, Zimbabwe Environmental Low Association
Agapito Alexander Rodríguez Escobar, Honduran Institute of Geology and Mines, Honduras
Participants during the session
New Technology: New Deal: What Lies Ahead?
L-R: Janne Kaiser-Tedesco, German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ); Benjamin Aryee, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana; moderator Tracey Cooper, Mining Dialogues 360°; Richard Morgan, Anglo American; and Howard Mann, IGF Secretariat
Howard Mann, IGF Secretariat
Janne Kaiser-Tedesco, GIZ
Benjamin Aryee, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana
Moderator Tracey Cooper, Mining Dialogues 360°
Richard Morgan, Anglo American
New Technology, New Deal: Implications for Future Mining Tax Regimes
L-R: Ross Lyons, mining tax consultant; Chris Sanger, EY; moderator Alexandra Readhead, IGF Secretariat; and Boitumelo Moche, South African Revenue Service
Chris Sanger, EY
Ross Lyons, mining tax consultant
Moderator Alexandra Readhead, IGF Secretariat
Boitumelo Moche, South African Revenue Service
New UN Tools Supporting Sustainable Mining Policies
L-R: Greg Radford, Director, IGF Secretariat; Ida Hyllested, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD; Harikrishnan Tulsidas, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); and Uyanga Gankhuyag, UN Development Programme (UNDP)
Harikrishnan Tulsidas, UNECE
Uyanga Gankhuyag, UNDP
Ida Hyllested, UNICEF, and Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD
Closing
L-R: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD; Alexander Medina, Chair, IGF; and Nathalie Bernasconi, IISD
Formalizing the ASGM Sector for Inclusive Sustainable Development
Panel speakers show the handbook “Developing National ASGM Formalization Strateiges Within National Action Plans.” L-R: Malgorzata Stylo, UNITAR; Kirsten Dales, CIRDI; and Jorden de Haan, UNITAR.
Participants during the session
Best Practices on Government-Community-Industry Relations
Roberto Mario Sarudiansky, Mining Secretariat, Argentina, and Flavia Milano, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Around the Venue
L-R: Anne Marie Sakho, Alhousseine Kaba, and Christiane Morgan, Ministry of Mines and Geology, Guinea
Mustafa Majidyar and Hosna Jail, Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Afghanistan
Representatives from the Latin America region
The IISD Reporting Services team. L-R: Adam Fishman, US; Suzi Malan, South Africa; Diego Noguera, Colombia; Delia Paul, Malaysia; and Yixian Sun, China.
