NEGLECTED DEVELOPMENT MINERALS SECTOR

 

 

Accra, Ghana, 15-18 March 2016

 

 

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS – SELECTION OF TRAINING PARTICIPANTS

(Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Sierra Leone)

 

Programme Background

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is a three-year, €13.1 million capacity building program that aims to build the profile, and improve the management, of Neglected Development Minerals (industrial minerals; construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones). The program is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, financed by the European Union and UNDP, and implemented by UNDP. The mining of Neglected Development Minerals has important implications for sustainable development, however, they have not to date received adequate attention for their potential to impact livelihoods; and few development programmes have provided support for this mining sub-sector. Often referred to as Low Value Minerals and Materials (LVMM) due to their low price as a function of their weight, and their relatively low value to international commodity markets, Neglected Development Minerals provide crucial inputs for domestic economic development (infrastructure, manufacturing, construction and agriculture to name a few) and have the potential to be high value in terms of domestic development.

The programme is implemented at both the regional and country level. At the regional level, the programme conducts capacity building activities for forty ACP countries through regional training workshops, guidance products and knowledge exchange. At the country level, in depth capacity building is undertaken with six focus countries,[1] with activities including training, small grants, the production of maps and databases, development of regulations on environment and safety, organization of community dialogues, technology fairs and networking events etc. Training and support will be provided in the following thematic areas of importance to the sector: 1) mine and quarry management; 2) environment, health and safety; 3) entrepreneurship skills; 4) market analysis and investment promotion; 5) geo-data and maps design; 6) community relations and addressing grievances.

About the Regional Training Workshop on Environment, Community, Health and Safety

The Regional Training Workshop on Environment, Community, Health & Safety in the Neglected Development Minerals sector will be delivered over four days, including a field visit to a quarry or mining site. The training workshop will be held in Accra, Ghana and include participants sponsored from: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The workshop is one of six workshops to be held on this theme in each of the ACP geographical regions. Around forty (40) mid-level professionals will attend, representing public stakeholders such as regulatory agencies and local governments; private stakeholders such as small-scale mining enterprises, associations, and business development centres; and social stakeholders such as civil society organizations and community groups.

[1] Programme focus countries include: Cameroon (Central Africa); Guinea (West Africa); Uganda (East Africa); Zambia (Southern Africa); Jamaica (Caribbean); and Fiji (Pacific).

For more and application form, just click here Request for Applications_Neglected Minerals Workshop_Accra_2016