In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was a landmark event in defining the concept of sustainable development and setting out a blueprint in Agenda 21 for achieving sustainable development. Despite its 40 chapters, Agenda 21 did not specifically address minerals, metals and related compounds. Instead, minerals and metals were treated indirectly under chemicals management and hazardous waste.

The lack of a clear focus on minerals and metals in Agenda 21 kept discussion of these materials and related issues out of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), the United Nations body established to oversee the implementation of Agenda 21. At the same time, there is no other high-level, multilateral body where minerals and metals policy issues can be discussed by governments. As a result, policy concerns related to the sustainable development of minerals and metals are either addressed in a piecemeal manner through a variety of regional and sector specific bodies dedicated to specific issues related to minerals and metals, or they are addressed in a forum that may not bring together people with the appropriate knowledge and expertise.

In 2000, the eighth session of the CSD listed “minerals, metals and rehabilitation in the context of sustainable development” as a priority area for future work (Paragraph 4, Decision 8/3). CSD Decision 8/3 also urged “Governments, the international community and other relevant actors ... to examine the social, economic, and environmental impacts of minerals extraction and metals production...” and included a focus on the rehabilitation of mine sites (Paragraph 25, Decision 8/3).

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD - September, 2002, Johannesburg, South Africa) strengthened the worldwide focus on sustainable development. From a minerals and metals perspective, one positive outcome of the Summit was the recognition by Heads of Government that, in view of the growing importance of mining for many developing countries and the linkages with metal use primarily taking place in developed countries, the contribution of the mining and metals sector to sustainable development was identified as a subject worthy of further consideration by governments.

Why a focus on mining, minerals and metals?

Metals are essential raw material. Their unique properties, including strength, conductivity and durability, have made them an essential constituent of many key products for society, past and present. Metal mining exists because society needs metals. While recycling accounts for a growing share of metal supply, mining will likely remain a necessary source of materials because of the growing demand for metals.

Mining and metals have significant global implications. Mining, while still an important sector of the economy in many developed countries, is becoming increasingly important to many developing countries as well. Likewise, metal use is still primarily taking place in developed countries, but is growing at a more rapid rate in developing countries. There are also global social and environmental aspects associated with mining and metals. These can be found both at the production (mines) and the product levels, and can affect the developed and developing worlds in a very different but related manner. Additionally, products using metals are globally manufactured and traded, with resulting global implications for sustainable development.

The sustainable development implications of mining and metals are not only global, but many of them are specific to the sector. Mining investments tend to be large. They now increasingly take place in remote areas, particularly in developing countries, where local communities are often outside of the economic mainstream of their national economies. Some of these countries have limited institutional capability to manage the social and economic implications of sudden large investments in remote areas with very poor and isolated communities.

While the legacy of mining is often questioned, there are a growing number of new mining investments in developing countries or remote regions that can be regarded as good examples of investments that can contribute to rural poverty alleviation. Responsible mining projects can provide opportunities to open roads, bring access to energy, water, education, health services and employment to rural communities, while providing for the sound management of environmental impacts and the reclamation of land affected by mining.

In view of the number of key sustainable development features of the mining and metal sector that are specific to that sector, the number of sector-related initiatives underway and the benefits of widely sharing the outcomes of these initiatives, it is proposed that a global sector-specific initiative be undertaken to promote the contribution of minerals and metals to sustainable development. This will lead to policy considerations that better reflect the reality of the sector, thus facilitating the implementation of sustainable development. There is at present no global forum, mechanism or initiative with a mandate for national governments to examine the range of mining and metal specific issues with a full life cycle and sustainable development perspective.

Relationship to existing bodies

The implications of mining, minerals and metals to sustainable development are currently addressed in a variety of forums.

The Non-ferrous Metals Consultative Forum on Sustainable Development (NFMSD), supported by the three international commodity study groups, is a multi-stakeholder forum established in 1999 to address issues related to the mining, production, use and recycling of non-ferrous metals. Through its three working groups, the NFMSD has identified challenges and opportunities facing non-ferrous metals in the areas of production, product stewardship, and science, research and development.

The World Mines Ministries Forum (WMMF) is a forum for government and stakeholder representatives to meet and exchange best practices and recent advances in regulation, legislation, government services, fiscal and taxation policy and investment attraction issues.

At the regional level, governments are examining a range of sustainable development issues through organizations such as the Conference of Mines Ministries of the Americas (CAMMA), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Expert Group on Mineral and Energy Exploration and Development (GEMEED) and a network of mining ministries in southern Africa.

The industry-led Global Mining Initiative (GMI), and the multi-stakeholder Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD) which it initiated, held a series of regional and global consultations and commissioned research on a range of issues related to the contribution of industry, governments and other stakeholders to sustainable development. The GMI concluded in May 2002 with a major conference in Toronto, Canada.

From time to time, multilateral institutions also examine specific aspects of issues, such as health and safety questions by the International Labour Organization (ILO) or environmental aspects by the OECD and UN Environment Program (UNEP). The World Bank also looks at these issues and recognizes the potential embedded in a country's mineral sector to significantly influence regional and national economic and poverty profiles.

The Path Forward

These and other activities are helping to identify challenges and potential solutions to the sustainable development issues facing the minerals and metals sector. However, this approach is fragmented. In addition, the ability of governments to respond to these issues is limited by the lack of a global forum or mechanism where they can meet for dialogue and decision. Since many of the critical issues facing the minerals and metals sector require action by governments, or by governments in concert with other stakeholders, there is a need to examine options for how best to provide a focus and means of follow up for the many disparate initiatives currently underway. The Global Dialogue is designed to address this need.