Joint Press Release
23 August 2016, Cape Town, South Africa – The African Union Commission and the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) organized a meeting of high-level geological experts from 24 to 26 August 2016 to coordinate the African Geological Mineral Information System (GMIS) Strategy. The strategy will introduce Africa Mining Vision (AMV) compliant initiatives that will improve geological and geospatial information and its use in mining and broad development processes in Africa.
More than 54 Directors General from African Geological Survey Organisations (GSOs), representatives of regional economic commissions, African geological initiatives, partner organisations and experts from international organisations are expected to attend the meeting and they are expected to facilitate a review of the GMIS Strategy and the Organisation of African Geological Survey (OAGS) Strategy, a crucial continental coordination body of the geological and mineral information systems.
Mr. Frank Dixon Mugyenyi, Senior Industry Advisor of the African Union Commission, emphasized that, “the GMIS Strategy is a crucial step in bringing in together essential geological information that could benefit the entire African resource industry. This is a first, consolidating geological information of the African continent to benefit social and economic development of the African people.”
It is expected that the GMIS Strategy will promote the development of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) among African countries as a tool for GMIS management; provide open access and facilitate data sharing and distribution across various levels of users, including private sector and government agencies; increase regional and national mapping and exploration activities; and support the development of continent-wide mineral inventory.
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Note from editors on the Africa Mining Vision:
Formally adopted by African heads of state in 2009, the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) is the continent’s own response to tackling the paradox of great mineral wealth existing side-by-side with pervasive poverty. The AMV outlines a unique roadmap to the transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development in Africa.
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Media Contacts:
Ms. Daisy Leoncio, Communications and Advocacy Officer, African Mineral Development Centre, dleoncio@uneca.org
For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission
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Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
