Regional forum in Kinshasa: towards responsible artisanal gold mining in the Great Lakes region
The city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will host from September 12 to 15, 2023, a Regional Forum on the implementation of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Strategy (ASGM). ) of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). This event is organized by the DRC with the support of the ICGLR, the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the GIZ.
The main theme of this Regional Forum is “A regional mineral tracking system, a sustainable solution for responsible artisanal gold trade in the Great Lakes region”. The objective is to develop strategies to realize the potential of the gold sector as an engine of economic growth and development in the Great Lakes region.
The implementation of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Strategy was adopted at the 5th meeting of ICGLR Ministers responsible for Mines in December 2018. Since then, ICGLR member states are committed to implementing this strategy, and the Congolese government has offered to organize and finance this Regional Forum to ensure its effective implementation.
The general objective of this Forum is to promote ownership of the strategy by all stakeholders and to discuss means of its coherent implementation. Particular attention will be paid to the development of a regional mineral tracking system to ensure responsible artisanal gold trading in the Great Lakes region.
Participants in this Forum include representatives of ICGLR member states, regional organizations and mechanisms, the private sector, civil society and regional and international partners. It is a platform for cooperation between participating nations, international investors and key players in the gold mining sector.
This Regional Forum offers the opportunity to promote stability, sustainable development and ethics in the gold industry. By promoting responsible artisanal mining, it will help prevent the illegal exploitation of natural resources and promote economic and social development in the Great Lakes region.
Nadine FULA