Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) presents both a significant opportunity and challenge to many countries. The sector is responsible for a large proportion of the global production in minerals and metals, and it supports countless livelihoods, both directly and indirectly. At the same time, it can be a source of considerable risk and impact, socially, economically and environmentally.
To help in this effort, we released Guidance for Governments: Managing artisanal and small-scale mining in late 2016. A consortium of eight East African countries—led by Uganda and Rwanda—requested upon publication of the guidance that a related training program be designed and delivered to ensure that these IGF member states had the capacities required to implement the guidance and develop their ASM management strategies.
Managing ASM: IGF Regional Workshop for Africa was held June 5–9, 2017, at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, thanks to financial support from the Government of Canada. 36 participants from 14 IGF member countries attended: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The goal of the workshop was to enhance the capacity of participants to apply and implement the IGF Guidance for Governments on Managing Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. The workshop
objectives were to:
- Train IGF member representatives to understand the IGF Guidance for Governments to Manage Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining.
- Create opportunities for knowledge sharing and peer learning on cross-cutting ASM issues and challenges.
- Put in place a community of practice to support the integration of the IGF Guidance for Governments to Manage ASM in the participating countries.
Read the workshop report for more details.