18 October 2012: The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development held its Eighth Annual General meeting at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from 16-18 October 2012. The annual meeting focused on the implementation of the Mining Policy Framework, and the Forum’s future.

Participants also held a joint session with the World Economic Forum (WEF) where discussion focused on mineral value management and resource dynamics, and considered mining within the context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), which recognized the contribution of minerals and metals to the world economy and underscored the importance of legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and practices to promote economic and social benefits while also reducing environmental and social impacts. The meeting also included “Bank Day,” during which members of international financial institutions engaged with participants on extractive-related work.

The Forum aims to enhance and promote the sector’s contribution to sustainable development, by providing governments with a framework to discuss sector challenges and opportunities. It also seeks to enhance governance capacity for the sector, and to advance mining sector priorities identified under the Johannesburg Plan of Action (JPOA). The annual meetings enable members to share experiences, consider and provide advice and make recommendations. The Forum is the institutional framework for the Global Dialogue on Mining, Metals and Sustainable Development, a partnership initiative launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in South Africa in 2002.

The Governments of Canada and South Africa provided leadership to launch the Forum, which was established in February 2005. Membership is open to all UN Member States. [UNCTAD Press Release] [Forum Webpage]