Regional forum on the implementation of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Strategy of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Kinshasa, DR Congo in 2023.
The city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will host a major event from September 12 to 15, 2023. This is the Regional Forum on the implementation of the Strategy. Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
Organized by the Democratic Republic of Congo with the support of the ICGLR Secretariat, the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and GIZ, this meeting aims to promote a regional system for monitoring minerals, with the aim of ensuring responsible artisanal gold trading in the Great Lakes region.
This forum will take place in two segments. First of all, from September 12 to 14, 2023, experts will meet to exchange and debate on the different ASM implementation strategies. Then, on September 15, 2023, senior officials will meet to discuss concrete ways to establish a coherent regional monitoring system.
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining strategy was adopted at the 5th meeting of ICGLR Ministers in charge of Mines in Brazzaville in December 2018. Since then, the DRC and other member states of the ICGLR are committed to implementing this strategy in order to develop the economic potential of the gold sector in the Great Lakes region.
This regional forum will not only strengthen ownership of the strategy by all stakeholders, but also encourage exchanges and discussions to find concrete solutions for its effective implementation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of a regional mineral tracking system that ensures the legality and sustainability of the gold trade.
Participants in this forum will include representatives of ICGLR member states, regional and international organizations, private sector and civil society actors, as well as regional and international partners engaged in the fight against exploitation. illegal natural resources in the Great Lakes region.
In summary, the Regional Forum on the implementation of the ICGLR Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Strategy in Kinshasa in 2023 will be an opportunity for regional and international actors to engage in the promoting responsible gold trade and developing a regional mineral tracking system. This forum constitutes an important step in efforts to enhance the economic potential of the gold sector in the Great Lakes region while ensuring compliance with sustainability and legality standards.