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2024 Paris Peace Forum | Transition minerals events

28 nov. 2024


During the 7th edition of the Paris Peace Forum, Heads of State, high-level representatives from civil society, governments, the private sector and multilateral organizations  gathered at Palais Chaillot under the theme "Wanted: A Functioning Global Order" to underscore the urgent need for effective international governance.


Among the many thought-provoking discussions, a number of events convened a diversity of actors on the subject of global governance of  transition minerals. These discussions spanned topics such as the role of producer countries in current geopolitical dynamics and the delicate balance between technological innovation and the protection of human rights. Notably, two sessions exploring the intersections of conflict and minerals were co-organized in partnership with Global Witness and the OECD.


Morning Session Highlights – November 11: “Responsible Mining for the Energy Transition – Balancing Human Rights and Technological Innovation”


In the morning of the 11 November, a high-level panel featured two members of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals) Ma Jun (Founding Director, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE)) and Sheila Khama (Non-Executive Director, FTSE and NASDAQ), as well as Rob McEwen (Chairman and Chief Owner, McEwen Mining) and Sam Dick (Co-Director of Campaigns, Global Witness). Djaheezah Subratty (Programme Management Officer, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)) moderated the session.


Panelists explored ways to safeguard the rights of local communities, workers, and indigenous peoples while leveraging technologies that enhance efficiency and minimize social and environmental impacts.


Key insights from the discussion included:


  • The transformative potential of technological innovation in shaping a more responsible mining sector, by contributing to reducing environmental footprints, minimizing ecological damage, improving workers safety, and increasing corporate accountability.

  • The essential role of transparency and availability of data in supporting the human rights of local communities, indigenous peoples and workers. As key to a responsible transition minerals value chains, the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals has made transparency one of its key recommendations, calling for centralized data repositories, including for ESG data, regulations, trade flows and endowments.

  • The critical importance of transition minerals in ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy, in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

  • The necessity of fostering global collaboration and dialogue between different stakeholders, including communities, indigenous peoples, civil society, governments, and the private sector.





Afternoon Session Highlights – November 11: “Geopolitics, Commercial Rivalries, and the Impact on Benefit Sharing in Mineral-Producing Countries”


In the afternoon, another distinguished panel convened Christof Kurz (Chief of Party, Madini Kwa Amani Na Maendeleo project, International Alert)Bruno Oberle (President, World Resource Forum Association (WRF) & Co-Chair of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals)Louis Maréchal (Senior Advisor, Minerals and Extractives, OECD)Maha Aziz (Professor, New York University)Emily Iona Stewart​​​​ (Head of policy and EU relations, Transition Minerals, Global Witness) and Joel Flores Carpio (Chief Executive Officer, Strategis Global Advisors). Markus Herrmann (Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group / Correspondent, Caixin) moderated the session.


Panelists delved into the geopolitics of resource access, from strategic partnerships to trade restrictions, and the ways in which these influence the ability of mineral-rich nations to leverage their resources for sustainable development and local value creation.


Key takeaways from this session included:


  • The need for an international agreement to ensure fair benefit-sharing of minerals resources, one of the 7 recommendations outlined in the interim report of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals.

  • The essential nature of robust industrial policies for mineral-producer countries to effectively guide minerals production and management.

  • The role of critical minerals in today's geopolitical landscape, with minerals essential to the digital and energy transitions at the center of major geopolitical shifts, including the declining US leadership, rising powers, increasing resource nationalism, and the quest for equitable, sustainable practices.

  • The pivotal role of investors in driving local value creation for local communities and environmental sustainability, for example, through initiatives promoting technological and knowledge transfer and the need to rethink value addition for local communities beyond strict monetary terms.

  • The urgent need for better Artisanal and Small-Scale (ASM) mining governance, characterized by low payments, reinforced environmental degradation, and exploitative practices.





November 12 – “Conflict at the Front Lines of Transition Minerals”


On the 12 November, discussions were pursued on transition minerals at the OECD Conference Center with two events on Conflict Dynamics in Mining Regions.


The sessions were opened by Fabienne Hara (Deputy Director General, Paris Peace Forum). The event “Conflict at the Front Lines of Transition Minerals” features Emily Iona Stewart (Head of Policy and EU relations, Transition Minerals, Global Witness), Emmanuel Umpula (Afrewatch) and Yblin Roman (SIRGE Coalition). Benjamin Katz (OECD) moderated.


In this session, Global Witness and frontline voices presented a new report on the links between violence, social unrest and mining for transition minerals.


Panelists highlighted:


  • The ongoing large-scale geopolitical race to secure transition minerals and the necessity of ensuring that this transition does not come at the expense of local communities.

  • Investigations highlighting the link between mineral activities and incidents such as protests, violence, and deaths.

  • The need to respect the rights of frontline communities and Indigenous Peoples, including the requirement to uphold their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and to conduct thorough environmental impact assessments.

  • The critical importance of strengthening global governance around transition minerals, as emphasized by the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals in its recently released interim report.





November 12 – Conflict transformation and the role of responsible artisanal and small-scale mining


The second event, co-organized by the OECD, UN Department of Peace Operations and the Paris Peace Forum titled Conflict transformation and the role of responsible artisanal and small-scale miningfeatured Thomas Kontogeorgos (Chief, DDR Section, Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), Department of Peace Operations (DPO)), Louis Maréchal (Senior Advisor, Minerals and Extractives, Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, OECD ), Ruben de Koning (Consultant, HIVE), Eleonora-Markella Mantika (Policy and Planning Officer, Great Lakes and Haiti Team, DDR Section, OROLSI, DPO), Mr. Jeff Kabatunanga Kajima (National Coordinator, Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Program (P-DDRCS)), Yannick Weyns (Senior Natural Resources Advisor, MONUSCO), Christof Kunz (Chief of Party, Madini project, International Alert).


Panelists presented their recently-launched report, which explores the feasibility of operationalizing the linkages between responsible mining practices through due diligence in global supply chains and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants from armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as related community violence reduction (CVR) programming. 


Insights from the discussions included:


  • The potential of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) to generate an income for former combatants while strengthening their reintegration.

  • The factors that may contribute to a successful reintegration of ex-combattants, including including social, economic, security and psychological factors.

  • The lack of consideration from multilateral donors to include mining in their reintegration programs.

 

No recording is available.





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Paris Peace Forum

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Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals

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Paris Peace Forum

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