1. Andre Bourassa Secretariat of the Forum
Intergovernmental Forum on Mining/Minerals/Metals and Sustainable Development
The theme of the presentation is the Forum and the UNCSD. The Forum and UNCSD are intertwined. To understand one, you need to understand the other.
Andre Bourassa
Secretariat of the Forum

2. Mining State of Play Circa 2000
The WB Extractive Industries Review
NGOs campaign for WB to get out of EI
GMI and MMSD
The industry response to growing sector issues
The UN system
Mining always identified as problem in UN documents
Where are national governments in these debates? Concerns expressed to Canada
Concerns expressed to Canada by developing countries: Their view: we are democratically elected by our people, mostly the poor. We seek assistance from donors for development, including mining. However, wherever we go, we find the doors are closing because of representations by foreign NGOs campaigning for those agencies to not support mining. What mandate do those foreign NGOs have. They are not elected. Who do they represent? By closing doors to our requests for support, they are undermining the democratically expressed will of the poor in our country. This is imperialistic. They sought Canada’s help to change things around.

3. Mining State of Play Circa 2000
Development needed for poverty alleviation
Priority for developing countries
Development needs to be sustainable
Must be competitive
Comparative advantage: mineral endowment
Need to maximize benefits
Lessons learned on mining
Mining can be sustainable
Canada, Australia, Chile, Botswana, etc.
If it is done right, i.e. good governance by national governments
There was at the same time a growing emphasis on the need for more progress in poverty alleviation in developing countries.
Sustainable poverty alleviation will only come from sustainable economic development. For example, the 2001 New Partnership of Africa’s Development or NEPAD recognized this and asked donors to focus more promoting economic development.
Economic development needs to be competitive to be sustainable. NEPAD looked at Africa’s competitive advantages. Natural, including mineral resources, were identified as key for Africa’s development. The issue for those behind NEPAD was how to ensure that mining contributes to sustainable development in order to generate the long term benefits that will led to sustainable poverty reduction.
A lot of research has been done on the contribution of mining/metals to sustainable development. Experience has shown that it can, if it is done right, i.e. if there exist capacity for good governance.
The presentation in Montreal: demosntrating the ability of mining to contributeto SD. Look at Canada’s value of the dollar recently: we are tied to colmmodities. Look at our history: a colony developed for its resources becomes a world leader on the knowledge side of mining

4. Responding to National Governments
Why?
Owners of the mineral resource
Managers of the resource
Elected and mandated by their citizens
Accountable for the way resources used
How
Giving a voice to gvt views and interests
Working and learning together
Participating actively in policy debates, and showing progress
In response to concerns expressed by developing countries, Canada developed a strategy with them. It was based on empowering national Governments, particularly Mines Ministries, to become more influential in the global policy debates surrounding mining/metals.
The reason behind this conclusion were simple: these governments are the owners of the mineral resource, the managers of the resource, they are elected and mandated by their citizens to represent them and are accountable for the way the resources are used.
How to empower them?
There was a need to give them a voice to express their views and interests, for them to work and learn together and participate actively in policy debates. to show that progress is made in dealing with issues

5. The World Summit Strategy
Introduce positive yet balanced mining focused text in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI)
Confirm that mining can contribute to SD
Raise key issues that need to be addressed
Develop a Forum for gvts to work together
Global Dialogue on mining/metals
Reflecting on the best way to work together
Decision to establish the Intergovernmental Forum
A strategy was devised to use the World Summit for that purpose.
The first step was to introduce a specific text on mining/metals that would state the ability of the sector to contribute to sustainable development. This test would at the same time identify a number of issues to heed to be addressed to enable this contribution.
The second step was to announce a global dialogue on mining /metals and sustainable development. This dialogue was an invitation to all interested governments to reflect together on their role, responsibilities and influence in global policy debates. After two years of discussions, the decision to create the Intergovernmental Forum was made.

6. The Intergovernmental Forum
Inaugurated in 2005
Nature: voluntary, advisory and consultative
Objective: promote contribution of MMM to SD
Respond to priorities of the mining section of JPOI
How? By enhancing capacity for governance
Sharing lessons learned
Identifying opportunities and responding to challenges
Providing recommendations on best practices to address issues (social, environmental and economic issues)
Working with other regional intergovernmental organizations
The Forum was inaugurated in 2005.
Read slide

7. The Intergovernmental Forum
Membership: National governments
Ministries responsible for mining (42 members)
Always looking for new members
Observers
Multilateral and international agencies
Non-member governments
National delegations
Can include stakeholders: industry, NGOs, etc.
Canada provides secretariat for first five years
Sunset clause
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8. Expected Results of the Forum
Enhanced national governance of the sector
Better distribution of short and long-term benefits
More policy influence by ministries for mines
More international support for capacity building
More effective and timely government responses to sector challenges
More positive investment climate
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9. Work of the Forum to Date
The national mining policy framework: priorities, data collection and management
Template for a mineral policy framework
Framework on investor’s perception of country risks
Country perceptions of investors risks
Environmental impact assessment: elements and process
The Forum has already held a number of meetings and dealt with issues its members consider to be the most important.
These include: .. Read

10. Work of the Forum to date
Policies that best assure equitable local, regional and national distribution of benefits
Financial surety and environmental protection: mine rehabilitation and closure
Generating benefits from mining investments
Communities and mining
To come in 2008: fiscal frameworks and
Investment and revenue sharing
Mine closure and abandoned mines
Read

11. A UNCSD strategy From the Johannesburg World Summit
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Paragraph 46 on mining/metals
Forum is an outcome of the Summit, recognized by ECOSOC; must report
To the UNCSD Review
2010: progress achieved
2011: the way forward
Set the way forward for whole UN system
Given the genesis of the Forum at the Johannesburg World Summit, the review by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development of the JOI section on mining/metals ought to be a key event. The Forum has therefore developed a strategy for this event. The objective is, as the theme of today’s session suggests: to bring it al together.
Looking at the UNCSD process, read slide

12. Forum UNCSD objectives
Demonstrate the value of the Forum
In responding to Para 46 and sector priorities
Active participation by governments
Document progress/ needs at national level
Enhance influence of governments on global policy development and debates
National governments are policy leaders
Propose a way forward to the UN system
Read slide

13. Role for Governments
Include a report on mining in UNCSD national report for 2010 and 2011
Identify and promote national outcomes and views in national report
Participate in development of policy framework and express support at UNCSD 2011
Number of gvts is critical for influence
The ability to be influential on the outcomes of the UNCSD review will be a reflection of the number of governments that are involved and provide supporting messages. It is therefore important to promote active participation by national governments with an interest in mining/metals.
It would obviously be helpful if national reports reflected or supported the policy elements contained proposed policy statement. National governments will be encouraged to identify their national priorities and interests and seek their inclusion in the policy statement.
In their reports to the UNCSD, the national governments will have to highlight the progress they have made in addressing the issues facing the mining/metal sector as well as what they see as the best way forward.

14. Working with Others
Other intergovernmental organizations, e.g. Africa Mining Partnership. ECLAC, UNECA, CASM, etc.
Other national governments not members of the Forum
Multilateral organizations, e.g. World Bank, UNCTAD, UNDESA
Other stakeholders on their delegation: contribution and support
The Forum intends to work with all other interested parties in enhancing the contribution of mining to sustainable development.
For example, the Forum will …(read slide)

15. Policy Framework Economic, social, environmental, health, etc.
Cover entire sector life cycle
Exploration to metals, waste, recycling
Address all sector issues
Economic, social, environmental, health, etc.
Two components
List of policy elements
Discussion of individual policy elements
A Forum or national governments document?

16. Parallel Events at UNCSD
Events on the margins of the main meeting
Workshops to document progress or issues
Economic, social, environmental, CASM, etc.
Case studies, etc.
Lessons learned
Strategies in place for continuing progress
Cover the whole life cycle
All interested parties contribute

17. Next Forum Meeting Geneva November 24-26, 2008
Preparing for UNCSD is one of the three major themes of the meeting
Need to agree on who does what for UNCSD
Welcome to participate

18. For More Information www.globaldialogue.info
In conclusion, the members of the Forum believe that mining can contribution to sustainable development and sustainable poverty reduction. That belief does not however ignore that issues need to be addressed to enhance that contribution. It is satisfying to see the number of activities that now regularly take place around the world to exchange information on the best practices that are emerging in addressing the whole range of issues that influence outcomes for the sector. This WMMF is just another example of such activities.
That is the kind of information and guidance that, through its UNCSD strategy, the Forum seeks to bring together, to the attention of the policy makers and those organisations whose mandate it is to support capacity building and good governance in developing countries.
Thank you.