The Government of the Netherlands, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has committed EUR 5 million over 5 years to support the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF).
“The IGF and the Netherlands share the conviction that responsible resource governance plays an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” says Carmen Hagenaars, Deputy Director Inclusive Green Growth, with the county’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The IGF’s close collaboration with its member governments and its strategic partnerships with major global development players are unique and, in our view, can make a real difference in improving the mining sector worldwide.”
“This new funding allows the IGF to strengthen its outreach and work programs with our 75-plus member countries across the world,” says Greg Radford, IGF Director. “The IGF is devoted to improving resource governance and to optimizing the benefits of mining to achieve poverty reduction, inclusive growth, social development, and environmental stewardship.”
The IGF’s work is centred on the six pillars of the IGF Mining Policy Framework: legal and policy environment; socioeconomic benefit optimization environmental management; financial benefit optimization; post-mining transition; and artisanal and small-scale mining. It provides a number of services to members, including in-country assessments, capacity-building, technical assistance, guidance documents, and conferences that explore best practices and provide opportunities for governments to engage with industry and civil society.
With this action, the Netherlands joins the Government of Canada as a core funder of the IGF.
The IGF supports more than 75 member nations committed to leveraging mining for sustainable development to ensure negative impacts are limited and financial benefits are shared. It is devoted to optimizing the benefits of mining to achieve poverty reduction, inclusive growth, social development, and environmental stewardship. The International Institute for Sustainable Development has served as Secretariat for the IGF since October 2015. Core funding is provided by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands.