Abstract
This document is a reprint of one part of the UNCTAD report “Management of Commodity Resources in the Context of Sustainable Development: Governance Issues for the Mineral Sector”, 1997. The entire report summarizes some of the main findings of an UNCTAD project which examined the role of the mineral sector in the development process of developing countries. The overall aim was to identify policies which are likely to enhance the contribution of the mineral sector to economic development. The part presented here focuses on environmental management and sustainable development issues, and their implications for policy.