PO 2003/38 - | Raising the Bar on ... · Web viewDr. Fodé Diaby & Mme Koné Aïssatou Touré 86 Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihood: Focusing on Artisanal Mining Communities

Seminar on Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in AfricaIdentifying best practices and building the sustainable livelihoods of communities (Yaounde, Cameroon, 2002)

CONTENTS / TABLE DESCONTENTS / TABLE DES MATIÈRESMATIÈRES

Contents / Table des matières ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Synthesis reportBéatrice LABONNE .................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Recommendations “Yaounde vision statement” / Recommandations « Vision de Yaoundé »Béatrice LABONNE .................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Opening session / Ouverture de séanceOpening session / Ouverture de séanceDiscours d’ouverture

Patricia de MOWBRAY .......................................................................................................................................................... 33Halidou OUEDRAOGO ............................................................................................................................................................ 35Béatrice LABONNE .................................................................................................................................................................. 37Mohaman ABBO ....................................................................................................................................................................... 39

Session I Session I Setting the stage / Entrée en matièreSetting the stage / Entrée en matière

Keynote Presentation: Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in Africa: A Reality Check.Kevin PCJ D'SOUZA .............................................................................................................................................................. 45

La réduction de la pauvreté au cœur des politiques de développement : une ère nouvelle ?Jean LE NAY ............................................................................................................................................................................... 58

Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining.James CARNEGIE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 63

Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihoods in ASM Communities in Africa. Food for thought: from paper policy to results-oriented actions?

Antonio PEDRO ......................................................................................................................................................................... 67

Problématique du VIH/SIDA et exploitation minière artisanale.Dr Pierre M’PELE .................................................................................................................................................................... 70

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Séminaire sur la mine artisanale et la mine à petite échelle en AfriqueIdentification des bonnes pratiques et construction de moyens d’existence durable au sein des communautés (Yaoundé, Cameroun, 2002)

Session II Session II Country case studies / Etudes de casCountry case studies / Etudes de cas

Ghana. Poverty Eradication & Sustainable Livelihoods: Focusing on Artisanal Mining Communities. Summary of Draft Report. ................................................... 77

Etudes de cas en Guinée.Dr. Fodé DIABY & Mme KONÉ Aïssatou TOURÉ .................................................................................................. 86

Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihood: Focusing on Artisanal Mining Communities in Ethiopia.

Gesit TILAHUN & Demile YISMAW ............................................................................................................................... 99

Artisanat minier au Mali et expérience de bonnes pratiques pour la lutte contre la pauvreté et le développement des communautés minières locales.

Dr Seydou KEITA & Mme Maïmouna TRAORE ..................................................................................................... 105

Annexe - Liste des participantsAnnexe - Liste des participants ............................................................................................................................ 115

Les publications du CIFEGLes publications du CIFEG ........................................................................................................................................ 121

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SYNTHESIS REPORTSYNTHESIS REPORT

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SEMINAR ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING IN AFRICAIDENTIFYING BEST PRACTICES AND BULDING THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS OF COMMUNITIES

SYNTHESIS REPORT by Beatrice LABONNE 1

BACKGROUND

1. Because artisanal mining is largely driven by poverty, it has grown as an economic activity, complementing more traditional forms of rural subsistence earnings. The Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Southern Africa report (2002)2

acknowledges that Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) is “typically practised in the poorest and most remote rural areas by a largely itinerant, poorly educated populace, men, and women with few employment alternatives”. However, the sector may have the potential to empower economically disadvantaged groups and enrich nations by virtue of its low investment costs and short lag-time from discovery to production.

2. In spite of ASM’s growing regional economic importance, there is a lack of reliable regional and national socio-economic and poverty statistics to assess the real economic significance of the sector. For many policy makers, this absence of data hinders the formulation of growth-based rural poverty reduction policies, and subsequently their implementation. It also limits the impact of sectoral strategies, and programmes. Over the years, entities responsible for the ASM sector, such as ministries of mining have been challenged to develop and implement policies that could mitigate the negative socio-economic, and environmental impacts of ASM. Globally the dynamism of ASM is still not well understood, notably the economics behind the marketing channels of gold, diamonds and gemstones. As a consequence of the local inflationary tendencies of ASM, one still has to demonstrate whether short-term income gains at the local level can translate into medium and long-term poverty reduction. It is not clear whether ASM gains outweigh the often severe, socio-economic and environmental drawbacks. Experience shows that ASM stakeholders have divergent interests. ASM can move forward as a viable economic activity able to contribute to poverty reduction, provided these diverse interests can be adequately addressed and reconciled.

3. However, it is highly unlikely that a single best-practice model can apply to all ASM countries in Africa. There is therefore a need to devise strategies that are realistic, doable, well founded in communal realities and supported by the communities themselves. They 1 Senior Adviser, UNDESA.2 Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD), Volume 1, Report of the Regional MMSD Process,

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, 12 February 2002.

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require efforts both in dialogue and partnership at all levels of decision-making, from national government down to the community level.

4. The seminar on ASM in Africa: Identifying best Practices and Building the Sustainable Livelihoods of the Communities aimed at providing a forum for debate and partnerships. The Yaounde seminar brought together some 70 participants, including highly qualified senior policy makers from several African countries, notably Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, and Zimbabwe. Participants from international organizations included experts from UNAIDS, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, DfID, and the French bilateral co-operation. Individual ASM miners from the host country also attended.

5. By bringing key stakeholders together, the organizers’ goal was to encourage a fresh exchange of views and experiences around some of the main issues that illustrate the challenge of balancing the social, economic, and environmental concerns of ASM.

6. More specifically, the Seminar on “Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in Africa: Identifying Best Practices and Building the Sustainable Livelihoods Communities” was organised in order to:

a. Identify, analyse and propose a set of novel policy options for governments, IGOs, donors and NGOs, on the basis of case studies, and best practices. These policy options will encompass the macro, meso and micro (sectoral) dimensions of ASM to fully mainstream this activity into local development planning and national poverty reduction efforts (PRSP process). The focus will be on approaches and actions consistent with community empowerment initiatives.

b. Offer a forum for debate between ASM experts and practitioners on poverty reduction issues to promote novel policy and realistic implementation mechanisms.

c. Draw lessons and recommendations for implementation in other African countries and elsewhere through among others, existing networks such as the Communities and Small-scale Mining (CASM) knowledge bank.

d. Re-energize the interest of governments, donor and NGO communities, and the private sector to this important but overlooked sector.

7. The seminar was co-organized by UNDESA and UNECA. It was hosted by the Ministry of Mines, Water and Energy of the Republic of Cameroon, and for the UN by the Sub-regional Development Centre of UNECA for Central Africa.

8. The Seminar was opened by: Mr. M. Abbo, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Mines, Water Resources and Energy; Ms. Patricia de Mowbray, UN Resident Coordinator in Cameroon; Mr. Halidou Ouedraogo, Chief Sub-Regional Development Centres, Coordination Unit, UNECA; and Ms. Béatrice Labonne, Senior Adviser, UNDESA.

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9. The opening remarks underlined the major challenge for African poverty, and a commitment to reduce it in line with the Millennium Development Goals. The importance, and potential contribution of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sub-sector as a means to alleviate poverty were highlighted. It was pointed out however, that major efforts were required to solve the ASM development conundrum in order for ASM communities to benefit economically and socially from their access to natural resources. In spite of its economic vitality, the sector does not seem able to become an engine for growth and lasting poverty reduction. Moreover, it is often associated with deadly diseases, and socially and environmentally unsustainable practices. The dissemination and promotion of ASM good practices, as well as experiences made by a number of countries to formalize the ASM sector, were regarded as a good start.

10. It was stated that policies should aim at empowering the ASM communities and commit a broad-based partnership for well-defined targets. In order to improve the livelihoods of people whose income derived directly or indirectly from ASM, the participants were invited to identify doable policies, and shift from a “what to do” to a “how to” frame of action. ASM plans should be grounded in economic, social and cultural realities. It was stressed that strategies and policies have to reflect the true delivery capacity of government, bridge the gap between the various levels of decision-making, and reflect the various interests of the ASM stakeholders. Minerals being finite, it was therefore important to measure the impacts of these policies in terms of sustainable poverty reduction, inclusive of additional and alternative opportunities for income generation.

11. Finally, it was reiterated that a broad-based partnership between the various ASM national and international stakeholders was needed to concretely tackle the daunting task of improving livelihoods.

SEMINAR DISCUSSIONS

Session I: Setting the Stage.

12. The keynote presentation by ASM specialist Mr. Kevin D’Souza3 offered a very insightful and comprehensive review of ASM in Africa, including the constraints and challenges.

13. Mr. D’Souza began by describing the broad spectrum of issues that must be considered in relation to ASM. These include: legislation, institutional capacity, child labour, gender inequality, health and safety, the environment, marketing and credit. He went on to explain that the fundamental problem is that both the ASM sector and governments are caught in a “negative cycle of cause and effect”. A poverty trap results from a denial of choices and opportunities whilst living in a marginal and vulnerable environment. He indicated that in the past, most efforts by the donor agencies have endeavoured to solve one aspect of the ASM puzzle alone and ignored the others. This shortsightedness was often further compounded by donor and government reluctance for long-term engagement in the sector. Under such conditions, the original objectives behind millions of dollars in aid have not been met.

3 Mining Expert, Wardell Armstrong, UK.

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14. During his presentation, Mr. D’Souza highlighted some of the challenges, and constraints involved in changing policy. He warned that progress towards the economic viability of the sector, with the ultimate goal of sustained poverty reduction, depended on a drastic change in the official perception of—and attitude towards—the ASM sector. Only then, will strategies, methodologies and implementation mechanisms bring the necessary incentives for the sector to fully contribute to resilient rural development. The need for all the ASM stakeholders to be prepared for the long haul to overcome the many challenges that plague this vulnerable sector was underscored. The aim should be to wholly integrate ASM into the momentum of national social and economic development.

15. Mr. D’Souza stressed that a holistic approach must be adopted in order to increase human, financial, physical and social capital available to the ASM communities. All issues must be addressed together. This calls for a radical rethinking of current ASM policies. Stakeholders must act towards mainstreaming ASM issues with the current national process of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). The sector must also align itself with the wider social, economic and environmental principles of sustainable development to mitigate the threats to the social, economic and biophysical systems throughout Africa. Such a change of approach may facilitate the leverage of donor funding towards the ASM communities.

16. The fact that ASM exploits finite and non-renewable resources was highlighted. For Africa, the challenge now is to capitalize on the livelihood opportunities; ensuring that ASM plays a part in fostering other economic pursuits within the goal of lasting poverty reduction and sustainable development.

17. Finally, Mr. D’Souza called on the participants to think realistically in order to move forward and away from what he called “dead policies”. He encouraged seminar participants to build on the momentum of the activities of the UN agencies, ILO, DfID, CASM and the MMSD in order to mobilize support for the sector in a holistic manner.

18. The second presenter, Mr. Jean Le Nay4 provided an overview on the current thinking pertaining to poverty reduction within the broader development agenda. With regard to African countries, and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in particular, Mr. Le Nay outlined the various stages, which have led to the current focus on poverty reduction as the declared priority, and the central goal of development.

19. He started his presentation by illustrating the progressive evolution of policy thinking and prescriptions of the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs). Mr. Le Nay indicated that this evolution, away from the strict macro-economic based structural adjustment (SAP) of the 1980s, to the design of a poverty reduction strategy in late 1999, resulted from a mix of pragmatism and peer pressure. He noted in a precise manner the advocacy role played by UN agencies, as well as the specific people-centered approaches endorsed by UNDP. According to Mr. Le Nay, the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995) was a watershed. The summit drew global attention to the urgency of eradicating absolute poverty, and the need to redress social ills. More precisely, it recommended the inclusion of social development goals within SAPs.

4 Inter-regional Adviser on Development Planning, UNDESA.

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20. Mr. Le Nay explained the process, characteristics and objectives of the BWIs-backed Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. He made clear that if the main objective of the PRSPs is to reduce poverty, the process goes further as it encompasses the modalities for achieving this goal. In the PRSPs, economic growth underpins poverty reduction, and a stable and pro-business macro-economic environment should stimulate growth. Good governance, transparency and an increased participation of civil society are regarded as a required social assurance. The PRSP approach differs from previous BWI orthodoxy, as it gives an economic voice and role to the poor themselves. The caveat is that economic growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty in a lasting manner.

21. In the second part of his presentation, Mr. Le Nay highlighted the impediments to the implementation of PRSPs. One is the unlikelihood of a steady and strong rate of economic growth in terms of GDP, particularly in Sub-Saharan LDCs. Many LDCs cannot generate a growth that can meaningfully pull people out of poverty. In these countries, the private sector is very weak with a limited growth potential, as it is dominated by the informal sector. This sector is notorious for being motivated by subsistence and survival.

22. Finally, Mr. Le Nay stressed that in spite of the mixed messages from the international community, poverty reduction had become the yardstick through which development is assessed. The BWIs promote a partnership approach at both national and international levels and it is expected that this partnership should stimulate greater solidarity between the North and the South.

23. The third presenter, Mr. James Carnegie5 explained that the sustainable livelihood approach, SLA was not a new development fad still to be tested on the ground. Very much to the contrary, it was developed in response to dissatisfaction with the results from past development efforts. Mr. Carnegie stressed the evolutionary dimension of the SLA as it is built on practices, which are working. Subsequently, SLA is used by many international agencies, notably UNDP, the WB and DfID.

24. The SLA focuses on peoples’ livelihoods, and on how people can improve their coping strategies and how their livelihood can be improved and sustained. The speaker illustrated the seven key SLA principles, which are deeply focused on poverty eradication. The central issue may not be mining per se, but poverty related. Therefore, much needs to be done to improve the livelihoods of ASM communities as well as the people who are affected by ASM activities.

25. Mr. Carnegie emphasized that the process should be participatory and transparent. The views and livelihood priorities of the artisanal miners have to be factored in. The people must be in the driver seat, and empowered. Furthermore, the approach relies on partnerships among stakeholders. The SLA is holistic: the ASM communities are a case in point as they are involved in several income generating activities. It is also important to see the issues, which are affecting the ASM communities not only as problems- strengths and opportunities also exist. Strength, assets and opportunities should be clearly identified in order to become the foundation of the development effort. Linkages between the community (micro), service

5 UNDESA Consultant on sustainable livelihoods.

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providers and local government (meso) and national and international levels (macro) should also be well understood. Actions at the community level must be coherent with those planned at the meso and macro levels. Finally, the learning process is continuous. The ASM environment is notably dynamic, and there is a need for governance and a constant adaptation by the service providers to meet the challenge of a characteristically fluid milieu. The sustainability of ASM livelihoods hinges upon the integration of the social, economic and environmental dimensions. An important consideration is that ASM is exploiting non-renewable and finite natural resources.

26. The presenter explained the objectives, process and expected outcomes of the four case studies namely Guinea, Mali, Ethiopia and Ghana, which were going to be presented in the subsequent session. He particularly illustrated the added value of the Participatory Rural Appraisal methodology used to elicit the views of the people themselves. Each study was completed by a national validation workshop whereby the stakeholders reviewed, finalised and fine tuned the individual country findings and recommendations.

27. Mr. Carnegie concluded by stressing that local people should be empowered to become more involved in managing their own development, in articulating their demands, and not merely passive recipients of services. The greater self-reliance of the ASM sector implies that service providers reconcile bottom up aspirations with top down efficiency requirements.

28. Mr. Antonio Pedro’s6 presentation concluded the session on setting the scene. He called for more concrete action and fewer grand declarations. Over the last decade, concerns about ASM had been highlighted in a number of regional and sub-regional meetings, and conferences. Mr. Pedro listed the resulting declarations, plans of action and protocols. He lamented that these were merely “paper policy,” as the majority of the identified actions and measures were not being implemented on the ground.

29. Although the ASM sub-sector is regarded as a high priority, notably in the fight against poverty, little progress has been reported. While Mr. Pedro regarded all these stated objectives as very relevant, he noted a lack of political will to embark on any meaningful action. The slow or absent progress of implementation was of concern. He listed nine major impediments to the application of these well-meaning policies. If the lack of resources: human, financial, institutional and technical was a major hurdle, Mr. Pedro also observed the lack of impact and sustainability of a great many ad-hoc programmes. The poor definition of roles and responsibilities and the lack of benchmarking, deadlines and indicators of achievement were regarded as serious shortcomings. The absence of means of verification and monitoring instruments called into question the seriousness of these policies.

30. Mr. Pedro indicated that African leaders had designed the New Partnership for Africa, NEPAD as a genuine commitment to improve the welfare of their people. NEPAD aims at promoting among others, good government, to cure the continent of its persistent economic malaise and sustainably reduce poverty by attracting billions of dollars of private and public investment. NEPAD holds the mining sector as an attractive and conducive environment for investment. Efforts should be directed to creating a conducive and transparent regulatory and

6 Senior Economic Officer & Minerals and Energy Programme Leader, UNECA. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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management framework, improving the quality and availability of information on mineral resources, and establishing best practices to ensure their extraction is environmentally sound.

31. Finally, Mr. Pedro clarified The Economic Commission for Africa’s area of intervention in the mineral sector. He stated that the focus of UNECA is on policy analysis, dissemination of best practices, advocacy and awareness raising, monitoring policy implementation and the organisation of stakeholders’ dialogues.

Session II: Country Case Studies.

32. Four country case studies were presented. Their manner of presentation followed the same format as before, namely a general overview of the ASM communities, the ASM community situation assessed through the sustainable livelihood approach, strategies for poverty reduction in the ASM sector, and specific expectations of national teams.

33. The Guinea Case Study was presented by Mr. Fodé Diaby7, and Mrs Aissatou Toure8.

34. In this mining country, two areas were surveyed: Kouroussa/Kineiro for gold, and Kerouane/Banankoro for diamonds. Mr. Diaby stressed the important economic role played by ASM. ASM in gold is a traditional activity, which follows timeless traditions. Some 100,000 people are directly involved in the sector. Six tonnes of gold were produced in 1997, with the diamond production between 1996 and 1999 reaching two million carats. Mining is mostly a seasonal activity, carried out during the dry season. During the rainy season, agriculture-based income-generating activities take prominence. Mr. Diaby went on to describe the organisational and social structure of ASM, the support given by government, as well as the role of NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs). He also pointed out the differences between ASM in diamonds and gold. He elaborated on the role of “masters” in diamond mining. He pointed to higher soil degradation in diamond mining areas.

35. Mr. Diaby indicated his satisfaction with the results obtained from the Sustainable Livelihood Approach, SLA. In particular, he was convinced that the survey results will help in developing better targeted policies. It was timely to take advantage of the existing economic dynamism of ASM regions to further income diversification and sustainability of the over-increasing population. Because ASM is associated with social and environmental degradation, these policies should be multi-sectoral, participatory and strengthen the link between various levels of government. The strengthening of agricultural CBOs is particularly needed in order to optimise farming incomes.

7 Coordinator, ASM project in Upper Guinea, Ministry of Mines, Geology and Environment. Conakry, Guinea.8 Division Chief, Division for the Promotion of Women, Ministry of Social Affairs. Conakry, Guinea.

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36. A lively discussion followed. Many speakers were of the view that the role of the masters was controversial and didn’t contribute to poverty reduction in the ranks of the miners. It was mentioned that the master phenomena is not a problem specific to Guinea. In such a system, the miners were not benefiting from their work, and had little chance for self-reliance. If the governments are serious about reducing poverty in a lasting manner, many participants recommended that the master practice be discouraged. Other participants pointed out that sectoral policies such as those concerned with mining, have little understanding of the tenets of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). At the same time, the majority PRSPs give lip service to the contribution of the ASM sector. Efforts should be made to better understand its rapport with the other rural sectors. Some participants felt that the findings of the SLA approach should be better utilized to formulate practical responses to the rural development challenge. Its goal should be the social and economic empowerment of miners and their communities. It was felt necessary to improve the livelihood option of ASM communities as many participants felt that these conditions were often close to slavery. The reality behind the child labour phenomena was debated as was the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the mining region. It was suggested that best practices for ASM, as well as failures, should be disseminated at the regional level. The role of large mining companies was also discussed. Many felt that the good neighbour relationship should be promoted.

37. The Ethiopia case study was presented by a team consisting of Mr. Gesit Tilahun9, and Mr. Demile Yismaw10. Ethiopia is a country of 65 million inhabitants. About half a million are small-scale artisanal miners. The project focused on gold mining in the Southern Ethiopian Hayadima region, 600 km from Addis Ababa, and dimension stones in Senkelle in the Oromia region, 130 km west of the capital. As in Guinea, artisanal mining is recognized by law.

38. Mr. Gesit described the major problems affecting artisanal mining with particular focus on gold mining. The problems listed are similar to other ASM countries. However, the ASM sector attracts little visibility in the country. The study recommendations were two-pronged: improving mining methods and diversifying away from mining. In the Senkelle region it is important to increase the quality of the dimension stones, in order to increase added value. The speaker felt that there was enough information for project definition and that concrete actions were now needed. He was of the view that the study could have targeted regions even poorer than Senkelle. New demonstration projects should be launched using the SLA, with the communities themselves given more responsibility. Governments and donors had to be sensitised for funding activities in this area.

39. The discussion focused on the inability of the government to assist the ASM sector for lack of resources. Some participants indicated that there was a need to identify programmes, which would break the bonds of dependency on financiers. The communities should be better empowered to ensure that projects are not short lived. Although the PRSP includes the ASM sector, it was felt that actions were not very well articulated.

9 Mineral Operation Department, Ministry of Mines. Ethiopia.10 Ministry of Finance & Economic Development. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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40. Mr. Seydou Keita11 presented the Mali case study. He was assisted by Ms. Maimouna Traore12. His presentation did not adhere to the set format, but brought very interesting issues to discussion. Mali is famous for its gold mining tradition and its large number of mining sites. Large mining companies are also operating in the country side-by-side with artisanal miners, known as traditional and migrant orpailleurs. It is estimated that 200-300,000 persons are operating the gold fields, with women making up 60% to 70% of the workers depending on location. The gold production from the ASM sector is in the range of six tonnes per year. In Mali as in other West African countries gold mining is a seasonal occupation. It has however become the main income-generating activity.

41. Women are active at every step of gold mining from production to retail, yet there is no gender-specific task. Unfortunately in Mali as in many other mining countries, strength does not come in numbers. Opportunities to work are not synonymous with status and empowerment. On the sites, women do not only enjoy fewer traditional rights, they receive less money for their work, and are disproportionately affected by social ills. A direct consequence of the presence of women was the great number of children on the mining sites. Mr. Keita indicated that there were children specific tasks such as baby-sitting and sorting and transporting ore.

42. According to Mr. Keita the poor economic performance of the miners was primarily the result of an organization deficit. Unable to assess the size and exploitability of the mineral reserves, the miner is unable to make a business plan. He has few savings, and no access to finance for capital investment to increase production. This hand-to-mouth way of life compels the miner to take loans from traders and licence buyers. It is not unusual for a miner to loose 40% to 60% of his production in exchange for the rental of equipment. Mr. Keita indicated that contrary to previous thinking, the artisanal miner no longer discovers deposits. He is therefore forced to return to prior work sites. As a result of population pressure, these sites are quickly depleted.

43. Mr. Keita listed the strategic objectives, and related actions, which have been identified by the national validation workshop. They include capacity building, maintaining social cohesion, increasing land farming, developing access to micro-credit to improve technology and investment, and stimulating rural capital formation. However, no organisation was identified to implement the defined actions.

44. The speaker also provided an update on the community support programme of the Sadiola mine (Anglo Gold). The programme has several elements, one being to support the local orpailleurs. The objectives are to improve the gold miners’ livelihood, develop entrepreneurial skills, reclaim degraded lands, and better integrate the sector into the overall rural income generation by creating links.

45. The Sadiola programme elicited many questions. It was felt that it was a very interesting initiative that should become the starting point for long-term poverty reduction. To maximize sustainability, it was felt that mining companies should integrate their social activities within government sectoral programmes in particular in education and health. Participants were of

11 Expert, PAMPE/DNGM, Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water. Bamako, Mali. 12 Expert, Poverty Reduction Strategy Coordination group, CSLP. Bamako, Mali.

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the view that the resulting income-generating activities should stimulate self-reliance in rural areas, and lessen the economic dependency on mines. The discussions also focused on the perceived shortcomings of the traditional orpaillage organisation. Many members of the audience believed that it was keeping the orpailleurs in their poverty trap. It was indicated that women and children were the first victims of the system. Finally, some participants felt that governments, NGOs and community-based organisations should strengthen their co-operation.

46. The Ghana case study. In the absence, for logistical reasons of the team from Ghana, Ms Beatrice Labonne read to the audience the major findings of Ghana case study and national workshop recommendations. She noted that the workshop had been officially opened by Mr. Benjamin Aryee, Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission of Ghana. In his address, Mr. Aryee had emphasized that the key goal of the country was to make indigenous small-scale mining more sustainable, and the Commission had been pushing for the establishment of alternative livelihoods or local economic development projects. Efforts to reduce conflicts in land use were also made by providing more land for ASM activities. The goal of the 1989 regularization of the ASM sector was not to increase production but rather to reduce its ill effects, in particular the environmental impact.

47. The report stated that in spite of its economic and fiscal importance, the formal and industrial mining sector had yet to make an impact on rural transformation and that Ghana remains an agriculture-based economy. The report also revealed that the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy had not identified the ASM sector among the vulnerable groups. Either ASM miners and “galamsey” (those working without mining titles) had not been properly studied as a group, or were not considered as vulnerable.

48. The report has emphasized that ASM regions had a relatively underdeveloped infrastructure, and that agriculture had become less attractive to younger people due to the depressed prices of farm products. The high cost of living in ASM regions led to a hand-to-mouth lifestyle. The inadequate marketing facilities were hurting both miners and others in their communities. The community members were unhappy with the level of support from local governments. Although agriculture and mining complement each other and should be equally supported, community members were unable to take advantage of this. The community urged the government to take the necessary actions. According to the report, the community had a very limited vision of the market opportunities with respect to alternative livelihoods. This limited vision is regarded as the most negative factor for increasing community self-reliance. For Ms Labonne, the Ghana report and workshop findings were important as they made clear that ASM could not be addressed in an isolate manner. Ghanaian decision makers and stakeholders well understood that efforts should be increasingly directed towards building synergy between the various rural sectors. The non-ASM activities should become equally attractive as an economic opportunity to stimulate development and economic growth. Diversified rural livelihoods were the goal.

49. The need to improve community assertiveness is well understood by the government. The Minerals Commission and the large mining companies are increasingly using participatory approaches to empower the communities and help them to better assess their vulnerability, capacity and needs.

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50. Five key actions were identified by the national workshop: obtaining baseline information on poverty in ASM regions; reviewing options to address the issue of poverty/sustainable livelihoods; identifying institutions and their roles at the meso level; providing sets of institutional, technical, financial and other support measures/guidelines as necessary to identify the viability of alternative income-generating activities, as well as identifying funding schemes; and establishing a steering committee with members from several ministries at the macro and meso levels.

51. As the floor was opened for questions, the land issue attracted the attention of participants. In Ghana there is a land conflict between large and small-scale mining. Many governments had to make additional efforts to reconcile modern land titles with traditional rights. The marketing channels need to become more transparent and miners should have more choices to avoid the creation of de facto buying cartels. The ASM sector should interface with the other rural sectors and policies should be practical, taking into consideration the implementation weaknesses of the majority of the government agencies. As mining is finite, some participants supported the creation of a social capital fund. The miners should be sensitised to the limitation of the ASM sector and look for alternative and complementary options. The need for practical demonstration projects based on the absorption capacity of the community and the market, and the political realities, were in order.

Session II: Presentations on CASM, CDE and on the HIV/AIDS challenge in the ASM sector.

52. Mr. Jeffrey Davidson13 made a presentation on CASM. His presentation was appropriately titled “Putting CASM to Work in Africa”. CASM stands for Community & Artisanal and Small-scale Mining. He explained that CASM mission was to “reduce poverty by supporting the integrated sustainable development of communities affected by or involved in artisanal and small-scale mining in developing countries”. CASM was established with four main goals in mind. CASM should contribute to: 1) mitigating or eliminating the negative environmental, social and cultural effects of ASM on the affected communities, 2) reducing the occupational health & safety risks to miners, 3) improving the policy environment & institutional arrangement governing ASM, and 4) increasing productivity & improving the livelihoods of miners.

53. Mr. Davidson echoed Mr. D’Souza’s presentation as he spelled out some of the ASM realities in socio and economic terms. It is estimated that 80 million people worldwide are directly or indirectly depended on ASM activities for their livelihoods. As their numbers are growing, the miners have increasing difficulties securing a subsistence.

54. Mr. Davidson gave details of CASM global initiative, its structure, activities, initial budget, and current sponsors, namely DfID, WB, and the UN agencies. CASM is fulfilling a critical co-ordinating function, first and foremost in terms of knowledge sharing to improve design and delivery of assistance. CASM is also a stakeholder network, a forum to exchange information on past and emerging experiences, and a facilitator to link projects with funding.

13 Senior Mining Specialist, COCPB, World Bank. Washington D.C.,USA.

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55. The presenter went on the detail CASM recent activities and achievements, including the initiation of the small grants programme. This programme aims at supporting networking and knowledge sharing activities and organisational efforts of miners themselves at the grass roots level. Reference was made to the knowledge centre on the CASM website (www.casmsite.org), which included contact and bibliographic databases. Very shortly, a database on ASM technical assistance will be posted on the site.

56. During the subsequent discussions, some participants lamented that CASM was not in a position to provide funding for operational projects. Some felt that the “small grants” were financially meaningless. Other speakers questioned the focus on community rather than on the miners themselves. There was a debate on the evolution of donor policy away from direct assistance to capital-intensive projects to a focus on policy support, and monitoring. There were questions on the added value of the CASM creating a special Africa network collaborating with other networking initiatives.

57. The next speaker, Mr. Meite Vaflahi14 presented the programme of the Centre for the Development of Enterprise for Africa Caribbean Pacific countries, ACP in the mineral sector. This sector was of a great economic importance, the ACP countries contain about 30% of proven mineral reserves. It amounts to 60% of SADC’s foreign exchange earnings. It is also a dominant sector of the ECOWAS countries.

58. Illustrated with charts, Mr. Meite gave an overview of the economic significance of the large scale mining sector in the ACP countries. He stated that the CDE focuses on the development of small and medium size enterprises, SMEs. Currently the CDE is assisting some 160 enterprises, providing project evaluation, marketing studies, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, environmental impact assessment, expert, facilitation, and financial assistance. These programmes were grounded in the concept and principles of sustainable development.

59. Mr. Meite indicated that CDE supports SMEs, turn over of which range from 60,000 to 200,000 euros provided that they advance the goals of sustainable development. He also indicated that CDE assistance yielded some very positive and sustainable results, as demonstrated by several case studies.

60. Many participants were unaware of the CDE programmes. Some argued that ASM did not have the capacity to attract the attention, and support of the CDE. They were also informed that CDE can also support business associations like SSM associations.

61. Dr. Pierre Mpele15’s presentation concerned the HIV/AIDS “ problematique ” . He outlined the issues as they related to ASM communities. Dr. Mpele was very direct, and warned the audience that unless serious efforts were made, HIV/AIDS was a potential time bomb in these communities. He initiated his presentation with some very dark figures on the spread of the pandemic in Africa. With 28.5 million reported cases of HIV/AIDS, Africa has 70% of all recorded cases in the world. The incidence of the infection is rising in the majority

14 Coordinator, Sectorial Coordination Unit, Centre for the Development of Entreprise, CDE. Brussels, Belgium.15 Team Leader, Inter-country team West and Central Africa, UNAIDS. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

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of African countries. One in every four Africans is directly related to the disease. A new report indicates that the spread of HIV/AIDS was widening and increasingly fuelling the famine in Southern Africa as farmers were unable to work in their fields. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa and it is reversing the development clock. In Botswana, the life expectancy has decreased from a peak of 63 years in 1990 to 48 now.

62. Dr. Mpele stressed that the epidemic was no longer a health issue, but had become a development crisis. Women are increasingly affected, now, making up close to half of those living with HIV/AIDS. The resulting economic crisis is driving women into unsafe sexual liaisons. The presenter explained the vicious circle of HIV/AIDS and poverty. Poverty, mobility and migration, and socio-cultural beliefs are driving the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

63. Mining regions are particularly affected. Mines commonly attract single males from poor regions. These workers live in mining camps away from their families during long periods. Due to their expendable income, sex trade is flourishing. Dr. Mpele believes that infection rate can be reduced if a community-based strategy is implemented. The approach must favor local development responses. Partnerships must be stimulated through dialogue and exchanges. The objective is to transform the AS miner from a target into an empowered actor.

64. While acknowledging the colossal dimension of the problem, Mr. Mpele provided several practical recommendations at national and international levels. First and foremost, a national multi-disciplinary team should be created to monitor HIV/AIDS impact on ASM sites. He also suggested the setting up of a taskforce among UN agencies like UNDESA, UNAIDS, ILO, ADB, UNDP, etc. The group could assist governments through partnership, help in assessing national situation, mobilize resources, support programme formulation, monitor and assess results, draw lessons from failures, and disseminate good practices.

65. Specific actions were recommended at the mine site. The first task was to assess, and understand the social, cultural and economic drivers of the epidemic. Prevention programmes among the mining population should be set up with the provision of condoms, voluntary testing, and medical assistance to the sick. Finally, Dr Mpele stressed that HIV/AIDS sensitization needs to be reinforced with poverty reduction to better people’s livelihoods. It was also important to select trainers, particularly among opinion-formers and traditional leaders.

66. The participants were taken aback by the frankness of the presentation. After some hesitation, the discussion rolled on. Many participants illustrated what their country was doing to fight the epidemic. One government was already tackling the problem head on. Many additional questions were put to Dr. Mpele, and pointed to building broad partnerships among ministries, donors, communities and the private sector where mining companies were operating.

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Session III: Presentation and discussion of the draft Compendium of Best Practices for Artisanal and Small-scale mining, ASM in Africa.

67. The compendium was commissioned by UNECA. Due to a number of factors, the small-scale mining sector continues to perform poorly and thus trapping most of its participants into poverty. However, UNECA’s objectives were to disseminate, and discuss some of the encouraging efforts that are now being deployed by a number of African governments including Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The compendium was designed to capture these practices for dissemination across the continent. It should be considered a work in progress which requires continuous updating in tandem with the evolution and dynamics of the sector.

68. The presentation was made by Mr. Wilson Mutagwaba16. He explained that the presented ASM compendium on the best practices in Africa was divided into three major topics namely, background to the project, general overview of small-scale mining, and selected best practices in small-scale mining. While the first two chapters presented the general picture of small scale mining in Africa, the third chapter which documented practices regarded as “best practices” was presented in more details under the following topics: Criteria for Selection of Best Practices, Mining Policy, Mining Legislation, Technology, Health and Safety, Minerals Marketing, Institutional Capacity, Access to Credit and Finance, Technical Assistance Programmes, Women in Mining, Child Labour, Research and Development, and, Co-operation between Small and Large-scale Miners.

69. The presentation of the best practices was done and discussed under the following topics: Policy Formulation and Legislation, Minerals Marketing, Financing, Environmental Management, Health and Safety, Technology Development and Utilisation, Capacity Building, Technical Assistance, Gender Mainstreaming and Reduction of Child Labour, and, Promoting Co-operation Between Large and SSM. Overall, participants appreciated the efforts done to put together such a comprehensive list of best practices. It was also appreciated that the efforts were worthwhile as it would allow most countries that have limited experiences in small-scale mining to adopt practices that have already been tested in other countries.

70. Despite the appreciation, however, some participants especially those from French speaking Africa were concerned by the fact that the compendium had only been produced in English and thus limiting its full utilization. The UN ECA was called upon to ensure that the compendium was translated in French.

71. On the content of the selected practices, most participants wanted to know the criteria on which the successes of these practices were measured. It was expressed that it was one thing having good policies and legislation on paper and another to put them in practice. It was therefore felt that in order to add value to the Compendium it was important to also discuss the success factors of the presented best practices.

72. Based on this request, the participants were informed that ECA was prepared and will incorporate a section on success factors into the compendium. Other participants also

16 UNECA consultant. Managing Director, MTL, Tanzania. M. W. Mutagwaba provided the text on the Compendium.

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expressed concerns that some practices which might have succeeded in one country might have failed in another and hence there was a need to discuss these differences. It was however explained by the presenters that some failures of the practices were not because the practices were bad but because of other socio-economic influences within the country. An example of the Shamva Mining Centre project that failed to run sustainably was cited and explained that although it was a good practice that is now imitated by other countries, the economic difficulties faced by Zimbabwe have led to its failure. It was also explained that failures to translate good practices on paper into workable practices is a result of many things including political will, economic and fiscal policies in the country. The need to integrate artisanal and small-scale mining policies in the countries’ rural development programmes as a way of ensuring the integration of SSM activities into the rural economy was emphasized by most participants. Good practices that have been included in the compendium on this line were cited from the Sadiola Mining Project that has been able to generated alternative employment opportunities for the communities through integration of SSM and rural development.

73. Participants also cited the approach being taken in South Africa by Mintek. With financing from various state grants, Mintek assists developing rural communities by putting much emphasis on beneficiation and added value activities.

74. In conclusion, and following the demand by many participants for the compendium to indicate the success factors that have been used in selecting the best practices, a special section is being added into the Compendium. Success factors were measured through selected specific indicators on every topic that was included into the compendium. For example the assessment of best practice mining policy looked at the following indicators: Simple and transparent licensing system for small-scale mining; Applications for licenses handled by the district and regional offices; Licensing system for minerals trading that is handled at the regional level; Simple environmental management regulations specific to small-scale miners.

75. Based on these indicators, for example, the mining policy and legislation of Tanzania were found to be good examples of the best practices required for the development of the small-scale mining sector. However, despite the good legislative mechanisms, the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in Tanzania is still beset by the problems that have become synonymous with this activity the world over. Similarly, other sections on health, environment, technology and others reflect similar examples in other countries. In describing this scenario, the participants contented that ASM needs to operate in supporting environment if it has to succeed. As such, individual governments were called upon to put in place supportive mechanisms that would enable the good practices that are on paper to be translated on the ground. With examples indicated in the compendium where some practices that seem to have failed in some countries are already being put in good use in others, participants agreed that ASM could be made to contribute positively towards viable community life and economies, especially in rural areas.

Session IV: Break-out groups, views, conclusions and the way forward.

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76. In order to draw conclusions and propose novel, but doable policy options the participants were divided into two linguistic groups. For the two groups, the main objective was to make recommendations and articulate actions and tasks to reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of ASM communities. Each group worked independently on the basis of a common “Group task” sheet which was provided as guidelines.

77. The recommendations of the Yaounde Seminar are embodied in the following vision statement: “Contribute to sustainably reduce poverty and improve livelihood in African artisanal and small-scale mining communities by the year 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals”.

78. It was admitted that ASM continues to operate poorly, holding miners and their communities in a poverty trap. A consensus developed among the seminar participants, to the effect that poverty reduction should become the top priority. Poverty and its social corollaries such as abject working conditions for children and the spread of diseases should be addressed head on. This implies a genuine paradigm shift for the ministries in charge of the management of the mining sector and the ASM sub-sector. If a minority of African countries have already embarked on this challenging path, the multi-dimensional tenets of poverty reduction are not being well-understood by the majority.

79. The seminar provided a frank forum for debating these new realities. The recommendations point in a new direction. More emphasis should be placed on people-centered and participatory projects whereby the real needs of the community are addressed, mindful of the community’s strengths, assets, absorption capacity and internal and external vulnerability. Conversely, the traditional ASM staple projects, i.e. sectoral- and capital-intensive programmes, should only be funded if they fall within, and strengthen the overall poverty reduction actions of the country. The discussions clearly indicated that although they were creating high expectations, these costly projects have yielded either insignificant or unsustainable results.

80. Mining authorities may be compelled to revisit their contribution and commitment to poverty reduction in order to become an active partner in the poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) process. This commitment goes beyond the provision of fiscal revenues, foreign exchange and mining jobs. Poverty reduction and its multi dimensional characteristics and implications should be mainstreamed into sectoral policy, such as mining development. Conversely, the national strategy for poverty reduction should not reduce the mining sector to a “cash cow”. The multifaceted mining development should be fully integrated into the governance structures and its poverty reduction platforms.

RECOMMENDATIONS

81. The whole text of the recommendations follows.

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RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONSYYaounde Vision Statementaounde Vision Statement

RECOMMANDATIONSRECOMMANDATIONSVVision de Yaoundé ision de Yaoundé

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“YAOUNDE VISION STATEMENT”

Contribute to sustainably reduce poverty and improve livelihood in African Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) communities by the year 2015

in line with the Millennium Development Goals

« VISION DE YAOUNDÉ »

Contribuer à réduire durablement la pauvreté et améliorer les moyens d’existence durable au sein des communautés minières artisanales et à petite échelle en Afrique avant 2015

en accord avec les objectifs de développement de la déclaration du Millénaire

GOALS

OBJECTIFS

▪ Acknowledge and reflect the ASM sectorial issues in national legislation, and codes.

▪ Mainstream poverty reduction strategies into min-ing policy inclusive of ASM policies.

▪ Integrate ASM policy into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process with linkages to other national rural sectors, and develop a strategic framework for PRSPs.

▪ Revisit existing thinking on ASM legislation (tra-ditional land rights, and modern land use legisla-tion nexus) and role of central government.

▪ Strengthen Institutions:– Improve the availability of appropriate tech-

nologies,– Develop analytical & business skills.

▪ Undertake necessary reforms of the ASM sector: Improve policies, institutions, processes and the ASM stakeholders’ livelihood, reduce child labour, ensure gender equality, improve health and safety, develop partnerships, promote sustainable use of natural resources, infrastructure development and land use management.

▪ Reconnaître et prendre en compte le sous-secteur minier artisanal dans les législations et codes.

▪ Mettre la lutte contre la pauvreté au centre des pré-occupations des politiques minières incluant l'arti-sanat minier (ASM).

▪ Intégrer les stratégies ASM dans les Documents de Stratégie de Réduction de la Pauvreté (DSPR) et avec les activités des autres secteurs du domaine rural de l'économie nationale, et développer un ca-dre stratégique pour les DSRP.

▪ Réexaminer la législation du sous-secteur ASM en vigueur (droit coutumier, droit foncier, et rôle de l'état central).

▪ Renforcer les institutions :– améliorer la disponibilité de technologies appro-

priées ;– développer les compétences analytiques et en

gestion des affaires.▪ Entreprendre les réformes nécessaires du sous-

secteur ASM : améliorer les politiques, les institu-tions, les processus clé et le cadre de vie des acteurs du sous-secteur ASM, réduire le travail des enfants, assurer l'égalité entre les sexes, améliorer la santé et la sé-curité, développer des partenariats, promouvoir l'utilisation durable des ressources naturelles et réali-ser les infrastructures et l’aménagement du terri-toire.

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THE CHALLENGES FACING THE ASM SECTOR

LES DÉFIS RENCONTRÉS PAR LE SOUS-SECTEUR ASM

▪ Dwindling rural livelihood choices in a marginal environment and in remote regions.

▪ Increasing number of people seeking a livelihood in ASM.

▪ Limited public budgets & competing needs.

▪ Increasing poverty exacerbated by HIV/ AIDS/ STDs, natural disasters, etc.

▪ Increasing use of child labour.▪ Severe gender inequality.▪ Increasing pressure on available resources (institu-

tions, land, mineral resources, etc.).

▪ Diminution des choix de cadre de vie dans les régions rurales écologiquement vulnérables et enclavées.

▪ Nombre croissant de gens cherchant des moyens d'existence dans le sous-secteur ASM.

▪ Budgets publics limités et concurrence des secteurs demandeurs.

▪ Pauvreté croissante exacerbée par le VIH/SIDA, les IST, les désastres naturels, etc.

▪ Usage accru du travail des enfants.▪ Inégalité sévère entre les femmes et les hommes.▪ Pression grandissante sur la disponibilité des res-

sources (institutions, terre, ressources minérales, etc.).

WHAT TO DO: FOR GOVERNMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS (1)

ACTIONS POUR LES GOUVERNEMENTS ET LES PARTENAIRES DU DÉVELOPPEMENT (1)

▪ Formalize government commitment to ASM issues.

▪ Revisit mining policies in order to assess their capacity as an engine for poverty alleviation (link to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper process).

▪ Increase the profile of ASM in International Financial Organizations (IFIs) and donor agencies.

▪ Undertake necessary reform of the ASM sector:– Ensure appropriate legislation for ASM:

Acknowledge and reflect ASM sector in national legislation, and codes;

▪ Officialiser l'engagement du gouvernement envers le sous-secteur ASM.

▪ Revoir les politiques minières afin d'évaluer leur ca-pacité à devenir un moteur de la lutte contre la pau-vreté (établir le lien avec le processus des documents de stratégie de la réduction de la pauvreté / DSRP).

▪ Améliorer la perception du sous-secteur dans les or-ganisations financières internationales et chez les do-nateurs.

▪ Entreprendre les réformes nécessaires au sous-secteur ASM :– mettre en œuvre et garantir des législations appro-

priées pour le sous-secteur ASM : reconnaître et refléter les réalités du sous-secteur ASM dans les législations et codes au niveau national ;

----------------------------------------------(1) - Governments (national, local) / Gouvernements (national, local).

- ASM communities and CBOs / Communautés ASM et Organisations communautaire de base.- Opinion leaders / Leaders d’opinion.- IFIs and donor agencies / IFI et agences donatrices.- NGOs, private sector / ONGs, secteur privé.- Academia, public institutions / Académie, institutions publiques.- Banks / Banques.

– Revisit existing ASM policies and legislation with implication to traditional land rights on

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modern land use legislation and role of central government; Update rules, regulations, and legislation;

– Adopt appropriate and enforceable Health & Safety guidelines;

– Adopt appropriate and enforceable Environ-mental guidelines;

– Establish partnerships with NGOs (i.e., BPD – Care International, etc.);

– Ensure gender equality;– Launch child labour reduction programmes;– Provide credit facilities, and co-operative credit

saving schemes, credit and loans schemes, micro credit;

– Ensure and support free and equitable markets.

▪ Improve the availability of appropriate technolo-gies.

▪ Facilitate Institutional Strengthening and Commu-nity Training:

– Ascertain areas suitable for ASM activities (better knowledge of mineral resources);

– improve the methods of exploration, extraction processing and marketing so as to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of ASM as a busi-ness venture;

– Community health issues: establish HIV/AIDS and STDs general community health awareness programmes;

– Awareness to the concept of sustainable liveli-hood of communities.

▪ Stimulate stakeholders’ partnership (government as all levels, NGOs, banking organizations, profes-sional organizations, mining companies, etc.).

▪ Identify alternative livelihoods strategies realizing that ASM is a finite venture.

– Integrate ASM sector into rural community development programmes;

– Stimulate capacity-building, and technical and organizational development (micro-enterprises);

– Facilitate access to basic social services and transport infrastructure development to reduce remoteness;

– Streamline marketing channels.

– revoir les politiques et les législations en vigueur traitant du sous-secteur ASM en prenant en compte le droit coutumier, le droit foncier et le rôle de l'état central ; actualiser les règlements et les codes ;

– adopter et mettre en application des directives ap-propriées dans les domaines de la santé, l'hygiène et la sécurité ;

– adopter et mettre en application des directives en-vironnementales adéquates.

– établir des partenariats avec les ONG (BPD, Care International, etc.) ;

– appliquer une politique d'égalité entre femmes et hommes ;

– lancer des programmes visant à réduire le travail des enfants ;

– fournir et mettre en place des mécanismes de fi-nancement et d'accès aux crédits et mutualité, micro-crédits et crédits mutuels ;

– garantir et appuyer une filière de la commerciali-sation équitable.

▪ Améliorer et mettre à disposition des technologies adaptées.

▪ Faciliter le renforcement institutionnel et la forma-tion / encadrement des communautés :– identifier des régions aptes aux activités minières

ASM : mettre à disposition la connaissance sur les ressources minières ;

– proposer des méthodes de recherche, de traitement et de commercialisation afin d'améliorer la renta-bilité du sous-secteur ASM, pour que les entrepri-ses deviennent économiquement viables ;

– dans le même temps, sensibiliser et éduquer les communautés sur les risques du VIH/SIDA, IST, et mettre en œuvre des programmes complémen-taires visant à une prise de conscience des risques de santé et l'hygiène ;

– divulguer le concept des moyens d'existence dura-ble.

▪ Stimuler le partenariat entre les acteurs concernés (tous les niveaux du gouvernement, ONG, organisa-tions bancaires et professionnelles, compagnies mi-nières, etc.).

▪ Identifier des stratégies de moyens d'existence dura-ble alternatives, en tenant compte du fait que le sous-secteur ASM est une activité à durée limitée : – articuler les stratégies pour le sous-secteur ASM

dans les programmes de développement rural ;– stimuler le développement des capacités en favori-

sant des modèles d'organisation embryonnaires cibles (micro-entreprises) ;

– faciliter l'accès et la fourniture de services sociaux de base et d'infrastructure socio-économique et éducative afin de réduire l'enclavement géopoliti-que ;

– simplifier les filières commerciales.

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▪ Facilitate community-led activities: – Sensitization and empowerment campaign to

promote community organization and micro-business development;

– Develop analytical and business skills (demon-stration and follow-up projects);

– Establish ASM co-operatives and associations;– Community-based saving plans for productive

investment;– Remove gender-based constraints and identify

women leaders to stimulate alternative income generating activities.

– Health co-operative for prevention and care of sick people, particularly those living with HIV/ AIDS.

– Raise awareness, have more stringent law enforcement and monitoring coupled with the generation of alternative income opportunities,

– Family support service and the provision of affordable education to reduce child labour on ASM sites;

– Build community based partnerships with local authorities and local private sector, and opinion leaders.

▪ Faciliter les actions endogènes des communautés, à savoir : – organiser des campagnes de sensibilisation et de

responsabilisation pour la promotion de modèles d'organisation communautaires capables d'évoluer vers des micro-entreprises ;

– développer des capacités analytiques et l'esprit d'entreprise (projets de démonstration et d'accom-pagnement) ;

– établir des coopératives et des associations com-munautaires ASM ;

– établir une épargne mutualiste pour le ré-investis-sement des gains ;

– éliminer les freins au développement des femmes, identifier les femmes « chef de file » afin de struc-turer d'autres activités génératrices de revenus.

– mutualiser la santé pour la prévention, la prise en charge des malades et particulièrement ceux atteints du VIH/SIDA.

– sensibiliser à la réduction de la main-d’œuvre in-fantile sur les sites par l'application plus stricte de législation adaptée, ainsi que l'élaboration de me-sures incitatives aux activités génératrices de reve-nus alternatifs ;

– services d'appui aux familles, particulièrement l'éducation des enfants, pour réduire le travail des enfants ;

– construire les partenariats avec les collectivités lo-cales, le secteur privé local et les leaders d’opinion.

TASKS FOR INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS (Private donors, IFIs, Donors, NGOs)

TRAVAUX / TÂCHES POUR LES PARTIES PRENANTES INTERNATIONALES(Donateurs privés et publiques, IFI, ONG)

▪ Identify and disseminate best/good practices regu-lations (Pan-African) (CASM).

▪ Present the recommendations/vision statement of the Yaoundé Seminar to the WB/EIR Regional consultative workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, 13 January 2003 (UNECA – UNDESA).

▪ Establish a Yaoundé communication network through CASM and encourage other countries to join (March 2003).

▪ Identify available resources for ASM support (CASM).

▪ Identifier et disséminer les bonnes pratiques en ma-tière de réglementation (Afrique) –CASM–.

▪ Soumettre les recommandations/vision du colloque de Yaoundé à l'atelier de travail organisé à Maputo (13 janvier 2003) par le EIR de la Banque Mondiale (CEA/DAES).

▪ Etablir, à travers le CASM, un réseau de communi-cation –le réseau de Yaoundé–, et envisager que d'autres pays y adhèrent (mars 2003).

▪ Identifier des ressources disponibles pour appuyer le sous-secteur ASM (CASM).

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▪ Review existing baseline surveys to assess rele-vance to “Yaoundé vision statement” in selected countries (CASM and UNDESA, September 2003).

▪ CASM AGM and learning event in Africa, Sep-tember 2003.

▪ Identify key stakeholders (affected, interested, beneficiaries, providers, developers, donors) to build the Yaoundé Network by August 2003.

▪ Establish an inter-agency (UNAIDS, UNDESA, ECA, etc.) working group on HIV/AIDS in mining by August 2003.

▪ Revoir les études de base dans quelques pays sélec-tionnés pour s'assurer de leur pertinence par rapport aux recommandations/ vision de Yaoundé (CASM, DAES – septembre 2003).

▪ Organiser des réunions de formation en Afrique (CASM, AGM), septembre 2003.

▪ Identifier les parties prenantes clé (parties affectées ou impliquées, bénéficiaires, fournisseurs, agents de développement et donateurs) afin de créer le réseau de Yaoundé (août 2003).

▪ Etablir un groupe de travail inter-agences (ONU-SIDA, DAES, CEA, etc.) sur le VIH/SIDA dans le secteur « mine » (août 2003).

NATIONAL LEVEL TASKS FOR STAKEHOLDERS, GOVERNMENTS, PRIVATE SECTOR, NGOs/CBOs

TRAVAUX / TÂCHES AU NIVEAU NATIONAL POUR LES PARTIES PRENANTES, GOUVERNEMENTS, SECTEUR PRIVÉ,

ONG ET ORGANISATIONS COMMUNAUTAIRES

▪ Lobby and increase the profile of ASM issues within governments and the large-scale private sector and country ASM organizations.

▪ Convene national workshops:– Build partnerships with government and the

private sector;– Baseline survey –identify key issues, both

positive and negative and establish common benchmarks.

▪ Collate, consolidate existing information (Govern-ment):

– Liaise with global ASM networks (e.g. CASM). Deadline: Septembre 2003.

▪ Faire pression en faveur du sous-secteur ASM afin d'augmenter la visibilité de ses enjeux dans le pays auprès des gouvernements concernés, du secteur mi-nier industriel et des organisations d’artisans mineurs.

▪ Tenir des ateliers de travail à l'échelle nationale :– construire des partenariats avec le gouvernement et

le secteur privé ;– étude de base : identifier les sujets critiques, tant

positifs que négatifs, et établir des points de réfé-rence communs à tous.

▪ Collecter, consolider l'information existante (gouver-nement) :– établir des liens avec les réseaux ASM internatio-

naux (par exemple le CASM). Date butoir : sep-tembre 2003.

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