DRC: Willy Kitobo announces continuation of work in Identifying artisanal mining sites, mining cooperatives and mineral storage depots
DRC Mining Minister Willy Kitobo and representatives of Cobalt Action Parternship / Global Battery Alliance (CAP / GBA) in association with the BGR held an online meeting on Thursday 11 February to present the results of the mapping to online participants 2020 on artisanal mining for the two provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba.
The discussions focused on the roadmap of the activities to be undertaken in order to continue, for 2 to 3 months, the work already started by the inspectors of the regulatory authority and control of the markets of strategic mineral substances (ARECOMS) on the ‘identification of:
“- All artisanal mining sites likely to comply with international expectations; – All mining cooperatives working in the field with the aim of strengthening their capacities to meet these expectations; – All ZEAs with a strategic mineral substance (Cobalt); – All storage depots for minerals from artisanal mining, ”informs a communication from this ministry.
The other point dealt with during this meeting concerns the ongoing project of the ASM normative framework, commonly accepted by all actors in the cobalt supply chain, including the various Congolese stakeholders including the Government, the private sector, and civil society, which will improve the entire artisanal cobalt supply chain.
Three important and urgent things were retained:
“- A technical meeting next week between experts from the Ministry of Mines and BGR for the improvement and validation of the report of the BGR mapping of artisanal mining sites with existing data at the Ministry of Mines and those collected by inspectors of ARECOMS; – Analysis and updating of the ASM normative framework which is under development before being published for consultation with all relevant stakeholders; – The rapid establishment of the Unit responsible for collecting all existing bibliographic data and coordinating field work ”, specifies the said communication.
The online meeting ended by asking each member to reflect on the field activities of the first 3 months and the resources necessary for their realization. The next meeting is scheduled in 2 weeks.
