African Mining Partnership (AMP)

Mid-term Executive Committee Meeting

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
11-12 August 2005
Addis Ababa Communiqué

Following the second AMP meeting geld in Cape Town, South Africa on 7 February 2005, the Executive Committee viz. Ghana (Chair) Mali (Vice Chair), South Africa (Secretariat), Egypt (North Africa), Nigeria (West Africa), Namibia (SADC) and Ethiopia (East Africa) held its second meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the 12 August 2005. The meeting was also attended by representatives from the following institutions: Mintek, Council for Geo-Science, CSIR (South Africa), Department of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopian Geo-Science and Mineral Engineering Association, private and Government Mining Companies/consultants, Geological Survey of Ethiopia, Southern and Eastern African Minerals Centre (SEAMIC), Chamber of Commerce (Ethiopia), UNECA, and CASM (Global and Africa).

Noting that minerals could play an important role in poverty alleviation across the continent, the Executive Committee acknowledged the efforts being made by AMP Member States in maximizing the contribution of the mining industry to sustainable development and reiterated their commitment to continue pursuing ways in which this can be achieved.

The meeting reviewed progress on the implementation of the following projects:

1. Beneficiation strategy for precious minerals (South Africa)

1. Development of a financing strategy appropriate to the needs of ASM (Nigeria).

2. Development of a marketing strategy appropriate to the needs of ASM. (Ethiopia).

3. Development of a sustainable mining strategy for ASM that addresses health, safety and environmental hazards (Mail/South Africa).

1. Synergize AMP environmental/sustainable development strategy with WSSD outcomes for mining (Egypt/South Africa)

1. Review and recommend alignment in mining-related curricula to facilitate common HRD standards in all institutions across the African continent.

2. Review and facilitate the development of staff and student exchange programmes across mining institutions in Africa.

3. HRD in industries that add value to primary minerals.

1. Identify minimum standards required for a mineral and investment information database including information for ASM. (Namibia/South Africa).

2. Sharing and exchanging of geoscientific information in respect of the extension of the Exclusive Economic Zones of coastal countries. (Senegal/South Africa)

The meeting noted with satisfaction the impressive progress made in implementing most of the above listed projects. Furthermore, it recommended that coordination in the implementation of projects on ASM should be improved and that the concept of centres of excellence be broadened to incorporate already existing institutions. The Ministers noted with concern that some of the member states were not responding to requests to send information, which results in delays in the implementation of projects.

The ministers where concerned that mining was absent on the NEPAD submission on centers of excellence and emphasized the need to have it included on the agenda. Accordingly, to that effect, it was agreed that the AMP Secretariat should approach Senegal as the chair of the NEPAD cluster on Centre's of Excellence to press for the inclusion of mining on the agenda.

The meeting also noted the inaugural meeting of the Communities and Small-Scale Mining (CASM) Africa initiative (CASM Africa) that took place on 10 August 2005 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia preceding the AMP meeting.

The Secretariat informed the meeting that the application for accreditation by the AU was submitted, but the AU is currently restructuring it organs and when this exercise is complete, the application will then be considered.

An update on REAC was also presented by the Secretariat. The Ministers noted the position paper made by the ACP ministers to the EU commission and further urged AMP member states to continue lobbying within their government and with other mining countries.

The meeting also noted the report by the Natural Resources Canada, which runs the secretariat of Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals and Metals, encouraging all AMP member states to come to the inaugural meeting in Geneva, from 7-9 November 2005. Those AMP member states that are not part of the Forum are encouraged to join before the inaugural meeting.

The meeting expressed its profound gratitude to the Government and people of Ethiopia for their hospitality and excellent arrangements put in place in hosting the mid-term review meeting.