Cape Town, South Africa — At Cape Town's annual Mining Indaba, the launch of an Africa Mining Vision (AMV) Compact between African governments and mining companies has been announced.
Frank Dixon Mugyenyi, Senior Trade Advisor of the Department of Trade and Industry in the Africa Union Commission (AUC) delivered the keynote speech on behalf of H.E. Mrs Fatima Acyl at a specially hosted dinner hosted on Tuesday evening.
"This Compact is a concrete step forward in aligning key interests around the implementation of AMV with those of the business community," read the Commissioner's speech. "The goal of the Compact is to strengthen trust and mutual understanding of challenges as well as opportunities for implementing the AMV."
The Compact outlines a number of commitments and undertakings by host governments and mining companies to realise the benefits outlined in the AMV. Its launch was acknowledged by Mr Simon Tama Waku on behalf of the Mining Industry Association of South Africa (MIASA), representing Chambers of Mines from across the SADC region, who also addressed the dinner audience.
"The Compact which we are launching today contains a set of standards that would serve as a benchmark for companies and governments to assess performance, resulting in robust policies that cover a range of principles," read Mr Mugyenyi.
Note for editors on the Africa Mining Vision:
Formally adopted by African heads of state in 2009, the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) is the continent's own response to tackling the paradox of great mineral wealth existing side by side with pervasive poverty. Simply put, the AMV outlines the roadmap to the transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development in Africa.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Daisy Leoncio
Communications Director
African Mineral Development Centre
or visit www.africaminingvision.org
