On Thursday, 10 October 2024, Equal Education Law Centre will honour Arthur Chaskalson, the first president of South Africa's new Constitutional Court and former chief justice in the Third Annual Arthur Chaskalson Memorial Lecture.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min On Wednesday, 9 October, at 10.20am ActionAid and Lawyers for Human Rights will host a side session at the 3rd African Forum on Business and Human Rights.

The session will deal with capacity building for reporting on Articles 21 and 24 of the African chart of human and people's rights relating to extractive industries, human rights and their environment.

"Africa holds 30% of the world's mineral reserves, many of which are critical to renewable and low-carbon technologies essential for achieving the global decarbonisation agenda. The demand for critical minerals such as lithium graphite and cobalt is expected to increase by nearly 500% by 2050. This heightened demand translates into more mining activities with larger and deeper environmental footprints, affecting both the environment and local communities. The situation underscores the need for responsible mining practices. However, research indicates that companies in the extractive sector are slow to adapt business standards despite significant human rights and environmental impacts associated with mining activities. Given this context it is crucial to explore how Africa can promote responsible business practices within the extractive sector to align with the aspirations of Africa Mining Vision....