Conference 'minding the mines'.

Following the Kimberley Process general Assembley Fatal Transactions organises a one day conference:"Minding the mines: resource certification and revision of contracts in the mining industry in Africa".
Brussels, November 9th, 9.30-16.30.
Due to the large number of registrations we have moved the conference to a new location!

The conference will be held at:

The Belgian Technical Cooperation-building (BTC), Jacqmotte site, Hoogstraat 139, 1000-Brussel.
How to get there: * By Train: The BTC-buildings are located in walking range of Brussels Central Station, (10 minutes)
* By car: Drive into De Blaesstraat, after approximately 500 meter turn left into the St. Ghislainstraat, at number 64-66 is the BTC parking.
* By metro: Metrostation Hallepoort.

Download the conference report:

Resource certification schemes, like the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, alone do not guarantee a just division of the natural wealth of resource rich countries in Africa. In order to enhance the general living standards, and make the local population benefit from their countries’ resource revenues, more action and regulation is needed.
Mining contracts (signed between a legitimate state and a mining company) that are just and transparent, and are negotiated on behalf of all stakeholders including civil society, are a start to a fairer share of the natural wealth. Before European mining companies enter fragile states as, for example, the Democratic Republic of Congo, these mining contracts should be in place. It is the European Union member states, and their policy towards African development, that should facilitate and encourage the (re) negotiation of the mining contracts.
Fatal Transactions has invited policy makers, NGO representatives, mining industrials and academics to take part in a one day conference that will take place November 9th in Brussels, following the Kimberley Process’ general assembly.
Fatal Transactions hopes to bring about a lively, open and constructive debate on the challenges and opportunities that lie before us in better management of natural resources. So the abundance of natural resources in African countries will actually contribute to development and growth of African society.

Program*

9.00-09.30 hrs : Registration and coffee & tea

9.30-10.45 hrs : The Architecture of Natural Resource Management
-Ms. Anneke Galama, Interim International Co-ordinator Fatal Transactions, the Netherlands.
-Mr. Willem Jaspers, Kimberley Process Secretariat, European Commission, Belgium.
-Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleiswitz, Wuppertal Institute, Co-director 'Material Flows and Resource Management', Germany.
Global Resource Management & Building Bridges to the Environmental agenda: towards a global governance regime.

10.45-11.15 hrs: Coffee & tea break.

11.15-12.45 hrs: Policy & Practice
-Mr. Markus Wagner, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany – certification schemes in Rwanda.
-Mr. Jan Gorus, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, head of MIRECA, task force on mineral resources in Central Africa, created by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
-Mr. Abu Brima, Network Movement for Justice and Development, Sierra Leone.
-Mr. Claude Kabemba, Southern Africa Resource Watch, South Africa.

Moderator: Alex Vines, Chatham House, Head of Africa Program, United Kingdom.

12.45-14.00 hrs: Lunch

14.00-16.15 hrs: Mining Contracts- 2 case studies.
(including tea & coffee break)

Democratic Republic of Congo
-Mr. Jean Claude Katende, ASADHO, Publish What You Pay, Democratic Republic of Congo.
-Marc-Olivier Herman, Broederlijk Delen, Belgium.

Zambia
-Mr. Prof. John Lungu, The Copperbelt University, board member of Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Zambia.
-Ms. Jolien Schure, Bonn International Centre for Conversion, Germany. (tbc)

moderator: Mrs. Louise Hilditch, Head of European Affairs, ActionAid International,Belgium.

16.15-16.30 closing remarks
16.30-18.00 drinks

language: English/French (interpreters available).
* draft program.