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Artisanal Small Scale Mining Conference 2018

Date Mon 10 September 2018, 08:00
- Tue 11 September 2018, 17:00
Location
Nasrec, Johannesburg (Electra Mining)
Nasrec, Johannesburg South, 2147, South Africa
Nasrec, Johannesburg (Electra Mining)
Resources ASM Conference 15052018.pdf
ASM Conference Papers Received 30072018.pdf
ASM Conference Reg form 11062018.pdf
ASM programme 07092018.pdf
Sponsorship Opportunities - ASM 2018 05072018.pdf
We are no longer accepting registration for this event

Background

asm banner 06092018

Background

The number of people involved in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities have been increasing globally. In Africa, specifically, the figures are estimated to be 9 million. This is an increase from an estimated 3 and 3.5 million in 1999. Presently, the ASM sector accounts for the largest mining workforce in Africa. Since ASM became part of the development agenda in the 1970s, many developing countries have acknowledged the sector’s importance in its role in local socio-economic development and have initiated a series of interventions aimed at formalizing the sector. In parallel, significant amount of research has been conducted to understand the sector and to address the negative externalities associated with the sector which for many decades have hindered the development of the sector in line with the respective national development agendas and on the African continent, the Yaoundé Vision on ASM and the African Mining Vision (AMV). To date, ASM remains a contentious issue characterized by misconceptions brought by the lack of clarity on the definition of ASM and issues surrounding its legitimacy as a source of livelihood.

While some countries have success stories to share in terms of the formalization of the ASM sector, South Africa has lagged behind developments in the rest of Africa with possible devastating consequences to its economy and people. Over the past few years, South Africa has seen an escalation of illegal ASM activities predominantly in the gold sector. This upsurge is driven by the limited economic opportunities in the country amid high unemployment rate and rising poverty levels. The loss of employment in the formal mining sector has also contributed to the scourge of illegal mining. Well over 300 lives have been lost in illegal mining activities between 2012 and 2016 and these are linked to rock falls, explosive accidents, gas poisoning, security and police battles and turf wars.

As a signatory to the AMV, it has become crucial for South Africa to diversify and create a mining sector that harnesses the potential of ASM to advance integrated and sustainable local socio-economic development. Accordingly, it is also important for mining practitioners to use their knowledge of mining to ensure that ASM operators work safely, effectively and efficiently to ensure the future viability of the South African mining industry, while leveraging opportunities for local socio-economic development.

This conference aims to provide a platform which brings together stakeholders working in the ASM sector to share experiences and learn from each other. Specifically, the conference seeks to expose South Africa to the successes and failures of ASM formalization efforts as seen in other developing countries particularly in the SADC region. In this context, this conference endeavour to explore policy and legislative changes that would optimize the current ASM legislative framework in South Africa in line with the aspirations of the AMV to deliver on the objectives of the National Development Plan. The conference aims to consider the implications of the future mining industry in South Africa where ASM is rejected on the one hand, and where ASM is encouraged and properly regulated on the other and used as a tool of poverty alleviation. With South Africa being amongst the largest mineral producing countries in the world, this conference will also explore the relationship between the large-scale mining (LSM) sector and ASM sector in the country with a view of bridging the gap between the two sectors for shared socioeconomic
benefits.

This conference seeks to go beyond the sharing of knowledge and encompasses the transfer of skills and experiences as well. The objectives of the conference are to:

  • Understand the spectrum of ASM activities in Africa e.g. legal vs illegal vs extra-legal
  • Explore the importance of ASM in the context of sustainable livelihood framework
  • Understand gender perspectives on ASM
  • Explore the legitimacy of ASM in the context of criminalization and/or decriminalization
  • Explore policy and legislative changes to optimize ASM legislative framework
  • Draw lessons from past and current formalization efforts as seen in developing countries
  • Understand the relationship between LSM and ASM sectors
  • Explore potential synergies between the LSM and ASM sectors
  • Consider best practices in terms of health, safety and environmental concerns of ASM
  • Understand attendant issues as they relate to the ASM mining value chain
  • Consider innovative machinery and techniques to ensure that ASM can be done effectively and safely
  • Develop lessons from other developing countries in so far as the formalization of ASM
  • Consider the African Mining Vision and its domestication at country-levels.