Partnerships to Restore Minerals Policy and
Institutions in a Post Conflict Country
Sierra Leone
Agenda• Brief introduction to the project• Perspectives• The origins of the project• Partnerships• Overview of artisanal mining in Sierra Leone• Constraints to the restoration of policy and
institutions • What have the partnerships achieved?• What more do we intend to achieve?
Introduction• Two-year DFID funded project in Sierra Leone to
provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Mineral Resources (MMR)
• Purpose: To strengthen the efficiency and capacity of the MMR to achieve its mandate
• Activities include day-to-day management support, policy development, legal and regulatory reform, strengthening functions
• Focus is on implementation and not analysis/theory
Our perspective?
Our perspective
Sierra Leone top performer in West Africa
Sierra Leone
• Small country in West Africa• Gained independence from
Britain 1961• Abundant natural resources
include rutile, diamonds, bauxite, gold, iron ore, platinum
• Security and stability a major success following end of war in 2002
Origins of the project• Management and Functional Review of MMR
conducted by Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU)• DFID Diamond Sector Project• DFID Security Sector Project• DFID support to United Mineworkers Union
(UMU)• Strategic and Environmental Assessment (Gary
McMahon, 2007)• Request from previous President for an
expatriate Director General
PartnershipsGovernment:
MMR, PSRU, HRMO, Office of the President,
GDO, NRA
Donors: DFID, World Bank, EC, UNDP, USAID
Membership organisations: United Mineworkers Union,
Chamber of Mines
Artisanal mining• Artisanal licenses:
– 2006: 2,184 licences; 2007: 1,968 licences– Only available to Sierra Leoneans– Estimated to be 2,000 unlicensed
• Estimated to be 150,000 to 300,000 artisanal miners (grassroot diggers)• In 2006 artisanal miners produced approximately 80% of the country’s
diamonds• Artisanal licenses are not having the desired effect on the market• Most grassroots diggers living in poverty• Lack of engagement between large-scale mining companies and
communities and artisanal miners• Sometimes confusion between LSM, exploration and prospecting
licenses and ASM licenses
Constraints to restoration of policy and institutions
• The loss of technical expertise across the organisation but particularly within the Mines Division
• Lack of policy implementation: Core Mineral Policy, Strategic and Environmental Assessment (Gary McMahon, 2007)
• Weak or lack of regulations • The weak linkages between the regional offices and
headquarters• Ineffective monitoring and compliance of precious
mineral trading
Realising potential requires:• Government organisations with capacity to attract and retain
professional, technical staff• Public servants with the incentives required to govern the sector
better• A separation of policy from implementation• A clear legal and regulatory framework with the capacity to
enforce• Mining companies meeting their social and environmental
obligations• Government organisations willing to engage and respond to
stakeholders• Mining communities seeing tangible benefits of mineral
production
What have the partnerships achieved so far?
• Major institutional reform proposals being debated by Cabinet
• Review of mineral rights is a transparent process• MMR mindset is shifting away from fire-fighting and towards
economic and social policy• MMR communicating better with civil society• Improved communication between MDA’s involved in
minerals governance• Chamber of Mines established• Diamond Area Community Development Fund “unblocked”• United Mineworkers Union on path to becoming sustainable
Better stakeholder engagement
www.slmineralresources.org
What else do we intend to achieve?
• Policy implementation• New legislation• New regulatory framework including new
artisanal mining and trading regulations• Institutional reforms approved and implemented• Ministry has capacity to perform functions• 4 points above have had positive and
sustainable impact on artisanal mining• Test of partnership effectiveness = CASM 2009
Thank you