Addis Ababa — African Ministers responsible for the development and utilization of mineral and energy resources are to meet in Durban, South Africa, from 17-22 November 1997.

The immediate objective of the Conference -- organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the Government of South Africa -- is to provide a forum for dialogue between governments and other energy and minerals development actors. Its longer-term goal is to facilitate the adoption of sound development policies, strategies and programmes and to provide a blue-print for future action on a common denominator of interest between all sectors.

The ministerial Conference will be preceded by a meeting of mining and energy experts, private development operators and investors, mineral-based products industrialists, minerals and energy consumer associations, chambers of mines, research institutions, and inter- governmental as well as non-governmental organizations.

The background to the conference is that although sub-Saharan Africa's mining accounts for 8 % of world mine production (with South Africa the largest producer and exporter of minerals), the continent's share of world mineral production has consistently fallen (except in the production of bauxite, uranium and rutile) since 1960. Africa now lags far behind Latin America and Asia.

Mining is dominated by the private sector, with state-controlled operations characteristically failing to keep up with competition in an increasingly globalised minerals industry.

Policy reforms by a number of African Governments have focused on putting in place enabling environments for foreign investment, seen as the best option for maximising outputs in the underexploited mining sector.

The positive effects of this policy shift, say experts, are already beginning to show. Africa's share in private direct investment exceeded 12 % in 1996, rising from US$ 100 million to US$ 418 million. Five out of the top 10 countries in the world that attracted the most investment are from Africa.

The challenge remains to ensure that the requisite regulatory environment is put in place in countries which have not yet done so, and that mining be exploited as a tool for socio-economic development.

The energy sector is key to the socio-economic development of national economies in sub-Saharan Africa, and as such to the reduction of poverty.

Within the sector, the electricity supply industry is key to the modernization of the economy and improvement of standards of living. Despite being plagued by low access, high supply costs and low technical expertise, many African utilities have made significant progress in recent years.

Significant research has also been undertaken and best practices accumulated in the areas of renewable energy (solar, biomass, etc). Yet the nexus between energy use, population and environment presents a picture that at present rates is sustainable.

Sub-Saharan Africa's per capita incomes are among the lowest in the world, yet in nearly all the region's countries population is increasing at more than 2.5 % a year. In countries such as Kenya and Cote D'Ivore, population growth rates are faster than 3.5 %.

Distribution is more than 58 % rural, constituting a constraint to commercial energy forms -- and given the poor economic circumstances of most governments there is insufficient regard for rural energy needs.

This situation is reflected in the statistics: Some 77 % of primary energy consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is of traditional and renewable energy. Firewood accounts for 58.5 %, charcoal for 18.1 %, and 15.5 % for petroleum products. Coal, gas and hydro-electricity account for 2.6, 2.7 and 1.9 % respectively.

While the resource endowment of nontraditional energy sources is adequate, these resources are concentrated in a few countries, and the region uses little of this potential -- producing 49 kWh per person of electricity in 1993 compared to 170 kWh for Asia and 558 kWh for Latin America.

The first Minerals and Energy Conference, orgnised by ECA, took place in Accra, Ghana in 1995. There, it was stressed that, in the energy sector, governments, the private sector, and non-governmental and other actors were indispensable in the process of sustainable development. The conference also underlined the importance of economic reforms under way in the region to optimize the role of these actors.

In the area of mineral resources development, the Accra Conference recognized, among others, the need to devise mechanisms for the enhancement of cooperation among African countries. It put equal emphasis on the necessity for strategies and incentives that encouraged the local and external private sector to participate effectively in African mineral resources development.

For further information please contact Peter da Costa, Cabinet Office of the Executive Secretary, UN ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251-1- 51-58-26 (direct) or 251-1-51-72-00 (main switchboard), Ext. 354866 Fax: +251-1-51-22-33 E-Mail: ecainfo@un.org