| Promoting
Regional Cooperation in Minerals and Energy Resources Development
The Mineral and Energy Resource
Development programme derived, among others, from the following major considerations:
- Despite its impressive endowment
with both mineral and energy resources, the African continent remains the poorest and the
least developed in the World.
- In the context of the current
economic environment characterized by globalization, liberalization and establishment of
economic block, there is an evident absence of effective cooperation and integration
arrangements among African countries in the areas of mineral and energy resources
development and use.
- Partnership between government and
the private sector in these fields is still weak.
Sub-programme component themes and
objectives
A. Promoting
cooperation, integration and public-private sector partnership:
- Promote, enhance and strengthen
inter-country collaboration and public-private sector partnership;
- encourage the establishment and
functioning of effective institutional framework at the subregional and regional levels
and
- Facilitate dialogue among government
policy/decision makers and the private sector partnership.
B. Facilitating
policy decision and dissemination of best practices:
- Promote adoption of sound micro-and
macro-economic strategies and policies;
- Facilitate exchange of experiences
on best practices.
C. Supporting
capacity building:
- Assisting member states in building
required skills at national, subregional and regional levels for sustained management of
mineral and energy resources with a specific consideration to small-scale mining and
gender issues.
1997 Work programme
A. The Regional Conference of African Ministers Responsible for the
Development and Utilization of Mineral and Energy Resources organized in Durban, South
Africa, from 17 to 22 November 1997
Its main objectives were to:
- work out practical modalities for
effective cooperation among African countries in the field of mineral and energy resources
development and utilization and
- facilitate the establishment of a
constructive dialogue between government policy makers and the private sector.
Outcomes of the Conference :
- the Durban Declaration which
embodies commitment by the member States to
Integrate energy and mineral
resources development policies and strategies in their economic development planning,
taking in to consideration subregional and regional cooperation and integration aspects
and
- two sets of recommendations,
one in the mineral sector and another in the energy
sector which highlighted
actions to be undertaken by the various actors to increase contribution of mineral and
energy resources to the socio-economic development at national, subregional and regional
levels.
B. Ad hoc expert group meeting of the African copper industry
- This activity was a follow up action
to a study conducted jointly by ECA and UNIDO
in 1994/1995 in response to a
request of the African ministers responsible for the development and utilization of
mineral resources in Africa urging to undertake a study in order to identify factors which
would contribute to increased production and intra-African trade in copper-based products;
- Organized in conjunction with the
Conference of Durban for cost effectiveness, the objective of the meeting was in promoting
the establishment of an AFRICAN COPPER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION in increasing regional
cooperation and integration in the production and use of copper in Africa;
- As a major outcome, the meeting led
to the decision of establishing a Subregional
Copper Development Association in
the SADC subregion as a model.To this effect, ECA, UNIDO, SADC and the SOUTH AFRICAN
COPPER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION were requested to join their efforts.
C. Non-recurrent publication on "policy, legal and regulatory
frameworks for sustainable development of mineral resources: a comparative study of
selected African and developing countries".
- The publication was based on
the review of the legal and regulatory frameworks
Governing mineral resources
development in 9 African countries (Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Ertrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali,
Niger, and Sierra Leone) and 3 non-African countries including Chile in Latin America and
kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Eastern Europe;
- The study which was conducted
by the team member posted in the CASRDC would assist member states in putting in place new
conducive policy and regulatory frameworks for the development of their mineral resources.
- Contribution to the UNIDO
expert group meeting on introducing new technologies for abatement of Global mercury
pollution from Artisanal Gold mining: Socio-economic aspects and gender issues related to
artisanal gold mining in Africa.
- Undertaken on the request of
UNIDO, the key objective of the output was to facilitate
women full and efficient
participation in artisanal gold mining with due regards to environmental protection and
health care in relation with the mercury use;
- The outcome was the decision
taken to reinforce partnership between UNIDO, ECA,
ILO, UNEP and the World Bank
in the search of solutions to the constraints on artisanal gold minor in general and on
women in particular.
D. Assistance to Benin in promoting the use of solar energy
technology in rural areas
- The main objective of the pilot
project was to demonstrate the technical and social
viability of using photovoltaic
solar energy for rural electrification and improvement of living condition of rural
population;
- Under a grant of the government of
Japan through UNTFAD, ECA has assisted the Government of Benin in purchasing the equipment
required for the electrification of the Ayomi village using photovoltaic (PV) solar energy
technology and in shipping it to Cotonu. The equipment is being installed to supply
electricity for water pumping, refrigeration for the health centre and the recreational
centre, for schools and street as well as battery charging.
E. Activities which led to building partnership
- Dakar World Energy Council
(WEC) Regional Energy Forum
- The objective was to
participate in and contribute to the formulation of the strategies for the development of
the African energy sector for the next millennium through the WEC Regional Energy Forum
whose theme was "what are the priorities for Africa nenergy for year 2020?";
- The WEC Regional Energy
Forum was organized in collaboration with the Senegalese National Committee of the WEC and
took place at Dakar, Senegal, from 26-27 February 1997;
- Partnership between ECA
and the WEC has been strengthened and ECA is now involved in the implementation of the WEC
African Energy Programme.
- UEMOA energy expert meeting
on the common energy programme
- The main objectives was to
participate in and contribute to the formulation of the common energy programme which had
to be adopted by the UEMOA council of Energy Ministers;
- Denver MIGA symposium on
investments in the mining sector
- The main objective of the
activity was to participate in and contribute to the ymposium which aimed at promoting a
meeting of minds among North Americans mining operators and high-level officials in the
African mining industry so as to create business opportunities that could lead to
increased investment in the mining sector;
- The discussions conducted
during the meeting resulted in strengthened partnership between ECA and MIGA and, for the
first time since 1994 ECA is attending the MIGA symposia, the next symposium will be held
in Africa (Marrakech, Morocco) and will be jointly organized by the two institutions in
collaboration with the government of the Kingdom of Morocco.
1998 work programme
- An Ad-hoc expert group
meeting on "sustained investment in mineral and energy resources development in
Africa";
- 6 non-recurrent publications
among which two will be given high priorities, such as:
- "Policy, legal, and
regulatory frameworks for sustained development of mineral resources: best
practices";
- "Alternative approaches
to financing energy and power development: case studies from Africa and other developing
regions".
- Advisory services and
assistance to member states and intergovernmental organization with special focus
on:Benin, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and ESAMRDC.
Expected Impact
- Promotion of the establishment of
effective cooperation among African countries;
- Development of substantial
dialogue between the Governments and the private sector;
- Adoption and implementation of sound
and harmonized policies for subregional and regional integrated development programmes;
- Attraction of more investment flows
in the African mining and energy sectors;
- Strengthening of capacities and
capabilities at national, subregional and regional levels with special consideration for
small scale enterpreneurship in the mining and energy sectors on one hand and due
attention to gender issues on the other hand. In respect to the latest, two projects
documents have already been initiated.
Upcoming Events
- Joint ECA/Multi lateral
Guarantee Agency symposium on African Mining Investment and Business opportunities.
(Marrakech, Morocco, Date to be determined)
- Technical Cooperation:
Holding regional seminars and working towards strengthening the institutional framework
for regional cooperation in the sustainable development of Africa’s mineral resources
for sustained economic growth. (1999)
- International Cooperation and
Inter-agency coordination and liaison: in particular contributing to the implementation of
selected programmes related to the respective subregions, including servicing Ad hoc
meetings of the chief executives of the African copper and aluminum industries.
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