1
Statement by Mr. Gebre Egziabher Mekonen Head, Mineral
Licensing and Administration Department, Ministry of Mines,
Ethiopia on the CSD -19 Intergovernmental Preparatory
Meeting (IPM): Mining session meeting.
New York, 02 March 2011.
Check against Delivery
Mr. Chairperson,
Distinguished delegates,
First of all, on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia, I felt very much honored, and
am pleased to have this opportunity both for the intervention and our participation
for the Intergovernmental preparatory meeting (IPM) UNCSD-19 session meeting
in New York.
We also wish to appreciate the statement made by the UN under secretary General
of DESA, H.E. Sha Zukang for the incisive opening statement.
We also further appreciate the useful presentation given by the panelists regarding
the Artisanal and Small scale Mining (ASM) activities (Artisanal Mining and rural
livelihood in Africa: Change, Challenges and policy options) focusing on practical
cases of the western African countries: Ghana's gold and Sierra Leon's Diamond
mining).
Ethiopia also supports and joins the notion and deliberation given by the chairman
of the Intergovernmental forum (IGF), Dr. Leonard Kalindekafe from the
Government of Malawi in which Ethiopia is a member of this forum (IGF).
Ethiopia is a country, currently coming to be on the scene soon with respect to the
large scale mining and formal artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) activities.
2
Mineral production such as primary and placer gold as well as tantalum contribute
the second main source of generating foreign currency in the last few years.
Ethiopia has also delivered the national report on Mining to the UNCSD-18 session
meeting last year.
Based on chapter IV paragraph 46 of the Johannesburg plan of implementation
(JPOI) 2002, the intergovernmental forum was established by voluntary member
states Mining Ministries. This Intergovernmental Forum (IGF) has produced an
integrated mineral sector Development policy frame work, as explained by the
forum's chairman. This mineral sector policy document has reached its final version
after many years of consultation, discussions with all intergovernmental forum
members' states, representatives, officials and other relevant countries and etc.
It is naturally inevitable that development of mineral sector is challenging for any
party. However, the IGF considers all issues, aware of challenges and at the same
time in deed has developed this mineral sector policy document.
We also believe that it would contribute and play the lead role to develop the global
mineral Resources sector policy towards the sustainable development. The policy
document consists of social issues, community issues, fiscal policy issues, Health,
safety employment (job opportunity issues), and other related policy level topics
with other pertinent arguments have been analyzed and formulated.
Dear Chair person,
As final target, Ethiopia requires and supports the Intergovernmental forum
Mining policy frame work document as one of the best out puts of the forum and
this document can be the best input in the UN global initiative on Mining resources
development to the sustainable Development.
3
Consequently, the UN global initiative on sustainable Mining Development should
consider the following major points as the y have been thoro ughly addressed in the
process of developing the IGF mining policy document.
The global policy initiative on sustainable mining should:
o Take a sustainable development approach
o Focus on enhancing capacity for good governance of the mining
sector; particularly in developing countries;
o Take a systemic approach to mining and related good governance;
o Focus on working with the national ministries responsible for mining
since they have the broadest mining related mandate and
understanding of the issues (this does not preclude working with other
relevant ministries);
o Focus primarily on the earlier stages of the mining/metals life cycle.
While paragraph 46 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
opens with the words ?mining, minerals and metals?, the content
focuses on the good governance of mining related stages of the life
cycle. This choice reflects the needs and priorities of most developing
countries and a decision to maintain focus for more effective action. It
also reflected the fact that later stages metal use issues such as
resource efficiency, end of life and recycling are already dealt with in
other existing activities on sustainable production consumption or on
chemicals while mining related good governance was not. Finally, it
recognized that the ministries dealing with the earlier stages of the life
cycle are not the same as those dealing with the last stages, e.g. mining
versus environment. The Forum has followed this approach in its
work program and its policy framework;
o Take an inclusive approach that can bring to the table all other
relevant stakeholders such as industry, civil society, academics and
others stakeholders;
4
o Avoid duplication with existing activities;
o Promote cooperation and integration with the work of other mining
related agencies such as EITI, CASM, ICMM, UNECA, CEPAL, etc.
o Be led by an agency with knowledge and understanding of mining, of
the context and pressures (e.g. minerals/metals commodity markets)
under which mining and related investments take place and the role
that the comparative advantage of the mineral endowment found in a
number of developing countries can play in support of their
sustainable economic development and poverty reduction strategies.
o Possibly UNCTAD could be an umbrella for the IGF in expediting the
policy as well as developing and implementing other guidelines and
soon for the future proposed five years plan of the forum.
We would also like to point out that those views reflected and expressed by the
needs and priorities of Forum members in the 2009 Forum survey are considered in
the policy draft discussion and final drafting of the policy forum meeting in
Geneva, Switzerland during last November 2010.
Ethiopia is also confident that the IGF, as it has produced the mining policy
framework, is the best platform for many developing as well as developed countries
to improve and reach to the best performance of the mining resources development,
good governances and etc..
Furthermore, the UN initiative in the area of capacity building should also cre ate an
opportunity to United Nations to resume activities in the areas of Geological survey
and development of the mineral resources programs like those time
implementations of the UNDP in 1980's .
Thank you.
