De Beers’ Artisanal Mining Program Steps Up Activities in Africa
By Michelle Graff
michelle.graff@nationaljeweler.com
July 22, 2020
"Freetown, Sierra Leone—GemFair, De Beers Group’s Sierra Leone-based program designed to support artisanal and small-scale miners, has inked a partnership to accelerate its activities in West Africa.
Earlier this month, De Beers announced GemFair has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, or GIZ, and the Mano River Union to jointly deliver a regional training program.
The program would aim to: enhance mining capacity, promote knowledge sharing, and build a comprehensive understanding of mine site health and safety, diamond valuation, ethical sourcing standards and environmental management.
Miners, government officials and civil society activists will take the training, which is slated to happen in four countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
De Beers said the training is designed to support implementation of the Kimberley Process’ regional approach and enhance knowledge of the requirements of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) while introducing safer and more environmentally friendly mining techniques for artisanal miners in the Mano River Union area.
Based in Bonn, Germany, GIZ is a development agency that focuses on international development cooperation.
The initiative with GemFair and Mano River Union is part of GIZ’s Regional Resource Governance Program, which it implements on behalf of the German Development Corporation and the European Union.
The Mano River Union, or MRU, is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1973 to promote development and maintain peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast. It is headquartered in Freetown, Sierra Leone
For the program, MRU will be the main ... "
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