Toronto, Canada – 07 March 2018 - The African Union Commission (AUC) participated in the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Trade Show event from 05-08 March 2018. The key objective of the African Union Commission led Delegation was to provide a platform for business dialogue and establishment of linkages between the African Private Sector and the Canadian Private Sector with a view to promoting investments in the exploration and geological information that African countries need to negotiate good mining contracts. It was also aimed at sharing best practices in Public Private Partnerships, as well as promoting value addition and commodity based industrialization as part of the Commodity Strategy guided by the aspirations of the Agenda 2063, the principles of the Africa Mining Vision and within the framework of Africa Minerals Governance Framework.

The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is the leading voice of the mineral exploration and development community. With over 8,000 members around the world in all sectors of the mining industry, the PDAC’s mission is to promote a globally-responsible, vibrant and sustainable minerals industry. As the trusted representative of the sector, PDAC encourages best practices in technical, operational, environmental, safety and social performance. PDAC, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, hosted the International Mines Ministers Summit (IMMS) for the third year, bringing together 25 Ministers responsible for mining from around the world including Africa. The event provided an important setting for the global mining community to explore challenges and opportunities affecting the industry. The IMMS in particular is an opportunity for governments to ask questions to each other, to learn, and then take that knowledge back to their respective countries and apply it.

The African Union Commission’s Delegation was led by Amb. Rossette N. Katungye, Advisor to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on integration and included the African Union Leadership Academy, (AULA)), African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC)), Chairperson of the Association of Chamber of Mines and other Mining Associations in Africa (ACMMAA), the Chairpersons/Presidents of the Sub-Regional Associations of the Chamber of Mines for Eastern, Southern and Western Africa as well as the Chairperson of the Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA).

In his keynote speech read by Katungye, at the 19th Annual African Mining Breakfast hosted by the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business and MineAfrica Inc., H.E Amb Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry underscored the importance of government to ensure that the Industry have stable mining laws and policies in order to attract and sustain investments. “Africa remains a viable investment destination with huge resource endowments both human and natural despite being plundered for centuries. We still have a wealth of yet undiscovered natural resources and educated youth. We therefore need to exploit our natural resources not only to cater for the next world agenda but also r for the current and future generations”, he pointed out. According to him, the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) is the way to go in order to remove the cloud that hovers over Africa as a high risk for investment. “We shall cease to be merely a source of raw materials and close the chapter of being a home of the highest population living in abject poverty while sitting on vast natural resources”, she emphasized. HE Amb. Muchanga also demonstrated the importance of the geological mapping of African resources and urged African countries to address this issue as priority.

The African Union delegation made a number of presentations including one on "Africa Mining Vision: Attracting responsible investments in exploration". The objective of the presentation was to showcase the African Union Commission’s activities related to the mineral sector in line with the Agenda 2063. H.E. Amb. Katungye also met with African prominent stakeholders in mineral industry including Ministers and authorities of mining from South Africa, Mali, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Guinea Conakry and other high level Government and private sector representatives with whom she discussed key issues to ensure optimal and shared benefits from the mineral resources exploitation.

The AUC also held a coordination meeting with AUC Partners the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business to plan for the longer term collaboration between AUC and the Canadian Government.
At the PDAC 2018 Trade Show, the AUC managed to secure a booth that provided high visibility for its activities. It provided essential contacts and information about the AUC and also displayed information from across the continent on mineral resources development to be provided by the Sub-regional Associations of the Chamber of Mines.

At the PDAC 2018 Closing Ceremony, the African Delegation including the AUC, got for the second time, the privilege to close the Toronto Stock Exchange Index (TMX).

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For further information, please contact Mr. Frank Mugyenyi, Senior Industry Advisor - Email: MugyenyiF@africa-union.org
Media contacts:
Patient Atcho - Department of Trade and Industry – Tel: + 251 912120442 - Email: AtchoP@africa-union.org
Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC Tel. +251 911361185, E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org