Capacity-building and Policy Networking for Sustainable Development

Mining is a significant economic activity in many African and Latin American countries and accounts for a substantial part of their fiscal and foreign revenues. The mining sector has undergone a major expansion over the last two decades as part of a process of export-led recovery under Structural Adjustment programmes undertaken in response to the problems of debt and economic under-performance. While the environmental impact of mining has largely been addressed by new mining legislation and the requirements of financial institutions, little attention has been paid to mining's socio-economic impact. The prevalence of surface mining has led to an increased loss of land, a critical resource in many rural communities, as well as the absence of social infrastructure and employment opportunities that mining communities previously benefited from. This has generated community protests and demands for direct benefits from mining. State capacity-building is required for improved governance and for state reform. It is also required in the policy areas relevant to sustainable mining to ensure a better use of mining revenues for sustainable development. There is a further need for effective networking of policies and institutions relevant to mining as well as for guidelines on mining community development. Community empowerment and capacity-building are required to ensure effective community participation in decision-making relevant to mining while mining companies will have to internalise the demands of corporate social responsibility in order to improve community relations and their capacity for community development.