Guinea/Conakry: launch of the 2nd edition of the Mining and Sustainable Development Forum

On Thursday June 27, 2024, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, presided over the launch of the second edition of the Forum des Mines et du Développement Durable (FOMIDE).

The forum was attended by senior Guinean government officials, representatives of the Guinean Chamber of Mines and those from the extractive sector.

The theme of this second edition of the forum is "Sustainable resource transformation: state of play, solutions and prospects" aims to intensify and amplify the efforts of stakeholders, and to continue raising awareness among target audiences of the urgent need for a sustainable vision and responsible action in the design and implementation of mining policy in Guinea.

At the opening ceremony of the forum, the president of Comité 21 Guinée, Mohamed Bangs Bangoura, began by emphasizing the efforts made by the government and all partners to make this event a reality.

He went on to say that the idea behind the forum was to contribute to reflection and, above all, to the design of a sustainable policy.

"We tried to bring together the main players, starting with the government, whose vision inspired us. So we invited the government, the mining companies and other organizations working in the mining sector so that we could see what opportunities we could derive from exploiting our mines (...). There are three main activities, namely panels, workshops and exhibition stands, which enable the public, companies, the private sector and civil society organizations to exchange views with the main players in the mining sector to see how they can do business together," he said.

For his part, Rio Tinto Simfer's representative at the ceremony confided that their support for this initiative was only natural. According to him, sustainable development is something that the Rio Tinto Group takes to heart.

"As you know, we are at the dawn of an era of transformation for Guinea, driven by the potential of the Simandou project, which is made for successive generations of Guineans. This project represents an extraordinary opportunity for the global extractive industry", said Nadjata Francis NGarhodjin.

On behalf of the Guinean Chamber of Mines and all private operators, Ismaël Diakité thanked and congratulated the forum's organizers.

For his part, the Minister of Mines and Geology suggested that FOMIDE is a means of accentuating the efforts of the government and all stakeholders to achieve sustainable development in the mining sector.

"FOMIDE is salutary because it enables us to pool our respective intelligence to achieve the goal of sustainable development for the future of our country's mining sector," he said.

In his opening speech, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah stressed that the theme of mining and sustainable development has become an essential issue for the preservation of life on this planet.

He went on to say that there was an absolute need for all structures to put forward this combination of industrial development, environmental preservation and social stability, so that all this happens in a relatively harmonious way.

A number of activities, including panels, round tables, interactive workshops, exhibition stands and networking sessions, will provide a forum for sharing experience, innovation and partnerships.This second edition was punctuated by a number of activities, including panels, roundtables, interactive workshops, exhibition stands and networking sessions, offering a space for sharing experiences, innovation and strategic partnerships, in favor of Guinea's sustainable development.

Source: mosaiqueguinee.com/