English
The just-released IM4DC Highlights 2011-2014 report provides vivid examples of how IM4DC and its partners have achieved substantial and sustainable improvements to mining governance capacity in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
As a new World Bank study of mining-dependent countries in Sub-Saharan Africa shows, mining can result in positive impacts on both economies and human development, contrary to past experience (see separate story World Bank study shows improvement in outcomes in mining-dependent countries in Africa). Mining governance capacity-building is a high-impact aid investment by Australia.
IM4DC recently refreshed and renewed its agreement with the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) Western Australia for DMP to deliver content for IM4DC short courses, study tours and professional development programs. The enthusiastic willingness of DMP and other government agencies nationally, in Western Australia and in Queensland (there, notably the Department of Natural Resources and Mines) to task senior people to engage with developing country stakeholders underlines the collaborative approach that Australian institutions willingly take to share their knowledge and systems.
In turn, IM4DC is able to reinforce relationships that Australia and its States have in other countries and is able to support Australian governments to deliver on the commitments that they have made with intergovernmental bodies elsewhere.
In the same way, associations such as The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, Australia Africa Mining Industry Group, Minerals Council of Australia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA and Austmine willingly provide personnel and other resources to meet with and brief developing country stakeholders. Member companies of these associations also give generously of their time and physical resources to host delegations at mine sites, provide speakers for courses and workshops and collaborate in research projects.
IM4DC also highly values its relationships with NGOs such as Oxfam, World Vision, Transparency International, and Natural Resource Governance Institute. As with industry and government stakeholders, participation of these NGOs is vital to effective capacity-building in mining governance.
As IM4DC’s activities have expanded and matured, valuable partnerships have been formed with many institutions in developing countries, which now include co-delivery of capacity-building activities.
Without such engagement from its partners, IM4DC would not have been able to deliver the strong outcomes that have been achieved over the past three years.
As IM4DC moves into its final five months of activity, we reflect on the value of our collaborations and thank the many partner organisations that have been vital to IM4DC’s success.