Gemfair signs for joint delivery
Building programme to advance
ASM standards in West Africa!
Partnering
with GIZ and Mano River Union to deliver training on
Mining
standards in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast!
GemFair,
a De Beers Group initiative to advance the artisanal and small-scale diamond
mining (ASM) sector, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Deutsche
Gesellschaftfür für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Mano River
Union (MRU) to develop and deliver a capacity building programme in the MRU
member countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast to enhance
practices in the ASM sector.
The
three parties will jointly deliver a regional training programme that aims to
enhance capacities, promote knowledge sharing and build a comprehensive
understanding of mine site health and safety, environmental management, ethical
sourcing standards and diamond valuation among participants, who will include
miners, government officials and civil society activists in the four countries.
The
training will be designed to support implementation of the Regional Approach of
the Kimberly Process, enhance knowledge of OECD requirements and introduce
safer and more environmentally friendly mining techniques for artisanal miners
in the MRU region.
The
initiative is part of GIZ’s Regional Resource Governance Program, which it
implements on behalf of the German Development Corporation (through the Federal
Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development) and the European Union. The
MRU is the main programme partner regarding regional activities in artisanal
and small-scale mining and the trade of gold and diamonds in the MRU region, while
GemFair will design the training curricula and provide staff and expertise to
deliver the training.
Feriel
Zerouki, Senior Vice-President International Relations and Ethical Initiatives,
De Beers Group and General Manager, GemFair, said: “GemFair is committed to
helping advance the ASM sector and one of the critical first steps is to
enhance capacities to raise standards across the sector.
We
are pleased to be partnering with GIZ and MRU on this ambitious training
programme and look forward to sharing our knowledge and providing our training
expertise in the areas of ethical mining practices, responsible sourcing and
diamond valuation to more stakeholders in the West Africa region.”
Medina
Wesseh, Secretary General of Mano River Union said: “The Regional Approach to
the Kimberley Process, artisanal and small-scale mining and the fight against
precious mineral smuggling in the Mano River Union sub-region is producing
important positive results on the management of the artisanal mining sector,
for the benefit of the four MRU member states.
The
signed MoU is one of the high points in the implementation of the project, as
the objective is to improve the capacities of the stakeholders, knowing that
the results from improved capacities are good practices, more efficient
management of the sector, better results and increased positive impacts.
The
sub-region’s artisanal mining sector, if effectively managed, can be a growth
engine as it is an important niche to improve state revenues, enhance
development of communities, and therefore reduce poverty at the grassroots
level”.
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