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United Nation Activities in the Mineral
Resources Field
An overview and links to the various activities of the United Nations
(UN) in the mineral resources field is provided to assist users.
A broad overview of UN technical cooperation activities in the mineral
resources field may be obtained from documents prepared for meetings of
the former United
Nations Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for Development.
- Technical
Cooperation Activities of the United Nations System in Mineral
Resources
- Report of the Secretary-General, ECOSOC Committee on Natural Resources,
Third Session, 6-17 May 1996, E/C.7/1996/1. May be downloaded in pdf
format from here.
- Technical
Cooperation Activities of the United Nations System in Mineral
Resources
- Report of the Secretary-General, ECOSOC Committee on Natural Resources,
Fourth Session, 10-19 March 1998, E/C.7/1998/1. May be downloaded
in pdf format from here.
Descriptions and links to current activities of the individual UN agencies
working in the mineral resources field is provided below. This information
may include relevant websites, projects, publications and events.
| UNCTAD - United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development |
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In the mineral resources area, UNCTAD is primarily concerned with
mineral economics and trade in commodities including mineral and
energy products.
Websites
Projects
- Project M - Capacity-Building
and Policy Networking for Sustainable Resource-Based Development
(UNCTAD/UNU) 2000-2002
- Project
P - Diversification and Commodity Based Development - Financed
by the United Nations development account. It aims (i) to promote
the horizontal, vertical and geographical diversification of production
and trade structures; (ii) to improve government's capacities
to formulate focused, effective and sequenced policies in this
respect; (iii) to increase the competence of enterprises in adapting
their business strategies and supplies to the Post-Uruguay Round
trading framework; and (iv) to strengthen positive linkages between
the commodity sector and the rest of the economy.
Events
Publications
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| UNEP - United Nations Environment
Programme |
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UNEP conducts and finances mineral resource activities related
to environmental protection.
Division of Technology, Industry
and Economics (DTIE)
Websites
Projects
- Global Mercury Assessment
- A programme coordinated by the UNEP Chemicals Unit. UNEP is
developing a global assessment of mercury and its compounds, including
an outline of options for addressing any significant global adverse
impacts of mercury, to be presented to the UNEP Governing Council
at its twenty-second session in 2003.
Events
Publications
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| UNIDO - United Nations Industrial
Development Organization |
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UNIDO assists in the development of mineral-based industrial processing
operations.
Websites
Projects
- Abatement
of Mercury in Artisinal Mining - A worldwide project funded
by both the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and participating countries.
Project briefs, as well as, reports on earlier research conducted
in Ghana and the Philippines are available under a Global
Mercury Assessment programme coordinated by UNEP Chemicals
Unit. UNEP is developing a global assessment of mercury and its
compounds, including an outline of options for addressing any
significant global adverse impacts of mercury, to be presented
to the UNEP Governing Council in 2003.
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| UNDP - United Nations Development
Programme |
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UNDP finances technical cooperation activities in all aspects of
mineral resource development.
Websites
Projects
- Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihoods - UNDP Ghana
Project RAF/99/023. - Focusing on artisinal mining communities.
June 2000. Olympios Katsiaouni, Socio-Economic and Development
Advisor and James Crnegie, Sustainable Livelihoods Consultant.
Please contact Ms. Beatrice
Labonne for further information.
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| UNESCO - United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
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UNESCO provides assistance for formal academic training, the establishment
of schools of geology, and certain research programmes.
Websites
Events
- “World
Heritage and Mining” Report of the technical workshop, Bureau
of the World Heritage Committee, IUCN Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland,
September 2000. (Adobe PDF 72KB) - Includes 10 principles agreed
upon to underpin the relationship between mining and World Heritage
interests.
Conventions
Publications
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| DESA - Department of Economic
and Social Affairs |
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DESA is the principal UN office responsible for the implementation
and coordination of technical activities in the field of mineral
resource development. Includes the former Department for Development
Support and Management Services.
Websites
Projects
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| ILO - International Labour
Organization |
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The ILO participates in technical cooperation relating to work
conditions and worker safety in mineral resource extraction, encompassing
all levels of mining.
The ILO conducts activities in the mining
sector on issues such as small scale mining, child labour, safety
and health, training and industrial relations.
Websites
Publications
Conventions and Declarations
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| ECOSOC - United Nations
Economic and Social Council |
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Websites
- United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources for Development Established
by Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/46 of 31
July 1998, which called for the merger of the former Committee
on Natural Resources and the Committee on New and Renewable
Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development. According
to its terms of reference, the Committee was composed
of government-nominated experts divided into two sub-groups
of twelve members each dealing with issues related to energy
and water resources, respectively. The Committee met biennially.
The work of the committee was transferred to the Commission
on Sustainable Development by the Plan of Implementation of
the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Publications
-
Activities
of the United Nations System in the Field of Water and
Mineral Resoucres, and Inter-Agency Coordination Focusing on
Progress Made Towards Achieving Sustainable Development: Technical
Cooperation Activities of the United Nations System
in Mineral Resources
- Report of the Secretary-General, ECOSOC Committee on Natural
Resources, Third Session, 6-17 May 1996, E/C.7/1996/1. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
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Developments
in Small-Scale Mining - E/C.7/1996/9. - Report of the
Secretary-General, Third Session, Committee on Natural
Resources, 6-17 May 1996. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- Assessment
of benefits accruing to host countries from the inflow of funds
and technology for mineral development - E/C.7/1996/8. -
Report of the Secretary-General, Third Session, Committee
on Natural Resources, 6-17 May 1996. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- Activities
of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
in the areas of water and mineral resources - E/C.7/1996/12.
- Note by the Secretary-General - Committee on Natural
Resources, Third Session, May 1996. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- Technical
cooperation activities of the United Nations system in mineral
resources - E/C.7/1998/2. - Report of the Secretary-General,
Fourth Session, Committee on Natural Resources, 10-19 March
1998. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- Basic
problem of improving the capacity of developing countries and
economies in transition to capture the maximum economic and
social benefits of their potential for mineral production -
E/C.7/1998/4.- Report of the Secretary-General, Fourth Session,
Committee on Natural Resources, 10-19 March 1998. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- State-of-the-art
environmental technologies for the utilization and reprocessing
of mineral industry wastes - E/C.7/1998/3. - Report of the
Secretary-General - Committee on Natural Resources, Fourth
Session, March 1998. May
be downloaded in pdf format from here.
- Issues
related to the spatial planning of land (including minerals)
and water resources - E/C.7/1998/5. - Report of the Secretary-General
- Committee on Natural Resources, Fourth Session, March
1998. May be downloaded in pdf format from here.
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| UNU - United Nations University |
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Websites
Events
- Africa's Natural Resources Conservation and Management Surveys:
Summary Proceedings of the UNU/INRA Regional Workshop Accra, Ghana
- Ed. J.J. Baidu-Forson, March 1998.
Publications
The following documents are available through the UNU website.
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| UNRISD - United Nations
Research Institute for Social Development |
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Websites
Projects
Events
Publications
Selected publications include:
A complete listing of publications and unpublished papers may be
accessed from here.
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| UNESCAP - United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific |
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UNESCAP conducts a variety of work in relation to mineral resources
including:
- Advisory services to member countries on mineral policy and
economics the strengthening institutional investment promotion
in sector.
- Integrated assessment and management of land mineral resources.
- Mineral resource assessment, training in evaluation and publicizing
of resources. Conduct studies into mineral potential, supply,
policy that is supported by the publication documents on both
specific minerals region, endowments individual countries
- Legal, social and environmental assistance including the preparation
of draft mining regulations, acting as a broker to assist attracting
foreign direct investmen, and studing the impact of mineral resource
developments on local populations.
Websites
Publications
A range of publications are available for order through
ESCAP, including:
Assessment of Mineral Resources
- Atlas of Mineral Resources the ESCAP Region, a series which
so far includes volumes on Afghanistan,
Azerbaijan,
Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan,
Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia,
Myanmar,
New Zealand, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands,
and Viet Nam. These documents are available for order
through ESCAP.
Mineral Resource Assessment,
Development and Management
- Mineral Discovery, Recycling, Waste Prevention and Confinement
for Sustainable Development in Asia the Pacific Region. (1995),
Vol. 1, p. 179.
Mineral Concentrations and Hydrocarbon
Accumulations
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| UN ECA - United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa |
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Websites
Publications
Committee on
Natural Resources and Science and Technology (CNRST)
The CNRST serves as a forum for the promotion of cooperation among
African countries in the areas of science and technology and development
and natural resources as well as providing advice on science and
technology issues relevant to the development of member States.
The Committee meets on a biennial basis.
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| UN ESCWA - United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
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Websites
Projects
Events
Publications
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| UN ECLAC - United Nations
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Carribbean |
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Publications
ECLAC maintains a library
of specialized information on economic and social development of
Latin America and the Caribbean . The library catalogue is available
on-line and contains a significant number of documents on the mining
sector including ECLAC publications. Most are in Spanish.
An example of a recent publication is:
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| UN ECE - United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe
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Conventions
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| The World Bank Group |
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The World Bank (and the IFC) provide grants and soft loans for
technical cooperation activities and project financing.
- MIGA - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
- IFC - International Finance Corporation
- IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Websites
- The World Bank Group - Mining Department
Projects
Mining projects may be viewed here.
Events
Proceedings
of the International Roundtable on Artisanal Mining - Industry
and Energy Department, Occasional Paper No. 6, Ed. Mamadou Barry,
The World Bank, Washington, D.C., May 1719, 1995. - The proceedings
include sessions on environmental,
health and safety issues; organizational,
social and women's participation issues; technical
and financial issues; and legal
and regulatory issues.
Publications
Development
Assessment
Guidelines
Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook (PPAH) - The handbook,
adopted in July 1998, applies to all Bank funded projects. guidelines
are designed be used context of World Group’s environmental policies
as detailed Operational Policy (OP) 4.01 “Environmental Assessment”
related documents. assessment process establishes performance requirements
for
The handbook has a range of sectoral guidelines including the following
with relevance to mineral resources (Adobe PDF):
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| IMF - International Monetary
Fund |
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| WTO - World Trade Organization
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| UNRFNRE - United Nations
Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration |
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UNRFNRE was established to provide an additional source of exploration
financing for countries not adequately covered by other funding
sources. The Fund ceased operation in 2001.
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| UNHCHR - United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights |
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Indigenous people and mining activities - workshop.
Proposed
draft human rights code of conduct for companies - Working paper
prepared by Mr. David Weissbrodt - United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights (UNHCHR) - Commission on Human Rights, Sub-Commission
on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights - E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/WG.2/WP.1/Add.1
- 25 May 2000. (Adobe PDF)
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| IAEA - International Atomic
Energy Agency |
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The IAEA is involved in regulating and giving limited assistance
for the exploration of nuclear raw materials.
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| IUCN - World Conservation
Union |
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Publications
- World
Heritage and Mining (Adobe PDF 72KB) - Report of the technical
workshop, Bureau of the World Heritage Committee, IUCN Headquarters,
Gland, Switzerland, September 2000. - Includes 10 principles agreed
upon to underpin the relationship between mining and World Heritage
interests.
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| UN Global Compact
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The UN Global
Compact is a voluntary code of conduct for multinational and transnational
corporations launched in 2000 by Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General.
The Nine Principles encompass human, labour and environmental rights.
Participating companies, that include Rio Tinto, Placer Dome,
BP, Royal Dutch Shell, and the Indian Oil Corporation must submit
a case study to the Learning
Forum at least once a year.
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