REGIONAL WORKSHOP: ALLIANCES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT

“Bet him to the mining, bet him to Colombia and a mining country, motivate the alliances so that the mining on a large scale, average and small mining attain to implement his knowledge’s and can generate a mining activity optimum of highest quality”

Vice ministry of Mines and Energy, Silvana Giaimo Chávez.

The Regional Workshop “Alliances for the Development” it was a meeting to build dialogue between Government, companies, donors, the ONG and other representatives involucrate in the mining. Besides, served for emphasise the importance to realize alliances between the actors, with the end to attain the mining development that so much needs the country, splitting of the learning of lessons and opportunities that can purchase of other nations, as Chile and Peru, where the mining has attained to be an engine of progress.

The opening of this concur event, realized it Silvana Giaimo Chávez, Vice Ministry of Mines and Energy, the one who mentioned that the Regional Workshop is “a timely space to illustrate to the society on the mining and his strong goodness’s to want to generate the big challenge of a sustainable development in the country, understanding like a responsibility work of the State, the companies and the Civil Society”.

After this intervention, proceeded Paul Hollesen of the International Council of Mining and Metals, ICMM, the subject to treat was “Mining: Associations for the Development”, about the real plans to work of collective way between companies and/or with donors, the Government and the Civil Society.

Subsequently, took part the panellists of the Government Diego Molano, High Presidential Adviser for the Social Action, exposed the “Advance of the social politics in the region”.

By her part, Beatriz Duque, Director of Mines of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, referred to the strategy of positioning of the Mining Responsible in Colombia; like this as to the alliance between the Government, the Latin-American Organism of Mining, OLAMI, and the Private Companies, with the aim to improve the perception on the mining, through a process sustainable that generating wealth, minimize the environmental negative impact and maximize the welfare of the communities and of this way, facilitate the development for Colombia.

Like part of the group of Government, but regarding the environmental politics, the Director of Licences, Permissions and Environmental deals of the Ministry of Environmental, House and Territorial Development, Diana Marcela Zapata, emphasis that in Colombia the mining has had an important evolution, bind Standard of Business Social Responsibility and Environmental, that have allowed to mitigate the impacts in the mining exploitations, being many of them a big example for the mining on a large scale in the country.

Equally, mentioned that the Environmental Institution will take split with the commitments that to the end of the workshop purchase to contribute with the Sustainable Development of the country. “We can not disconcert that the Mining is the main factor of economic development for Colombia. The idea is not treat to finish with this activity, but try to direct to responsible habits, as it has come applying in the country” affirmed Mrs. Zapata at he end of his intervention.

Likewise, had agents of international organisms such as Duval Zambrano, delegated of the International Financial Corporation, IFC, and Representatives of the International Council of Mining and Metals, ICMM, those who spoke of the importance of the public Alliances – private to generate development in the regions.

Is important to mention, the realization of the signpost of Civil Society with the Director of Development and Innovation the Foundation for the Development of the Quindío, FDQ, Guadalupe Salazar; the delegate of the Community of Cajamarca, Hernando Parra and Fabio Arjona, Executive Director of International Conservation Colombia.

Incidentally, had the participation of representatives of the private company, those who exposed his important mining alliances, the responsible social and environmental performs in Colombia and other countries.

The Vice-president of AngloGold Ashanti Colombia, Ramiro Santa, presented his alliances with the Governors office of the Tolima, the city councils of Cajamarca and Ibagué, the Sena, the Andi, Fenalco, Fedegan, Red Cross, among others, that have allowed to the company generate development in the regions where have mining activity.

Cerrejón, by his part, exposed a system of foundations in the Guajira, accessing to public – private associations to promote the impact of the royalties in the progress of this department.

On another side, GreyStar exposed his articulation with the IFC, that will allow a development in the department of Santander, thanks to the intervention of a mining project, with a gain by royalties between US$1,2 and US$1,5 million annual dollars during his time of operation, that is estimated between 2012 - 2027.

Vale emphasis in the conscious and responsible management of the corporate actions and the coalitions between the Government, the companies and the civil society, that allows to create interest for the investors and other public. Likewise, socialize the alliances of the Council of Administration of the Foundation Vale Colombia with participation of the mayors of the mayor’s office of Ciénaga, Magdalena and El Paso, Cesar.

By his part, AngloAmerican shared his experience in Chile and the program “Emerge” that allows tools for the local undertake, giving impulse to small and average businesses in the neighbouring commune to his operations.

Between the public assistant had the participation of 170 people, between which highlighted delegated of the Presidency of the Republic; Ministries of Mines and Energy, Environmental and Territorial Development, and of the Interior and of Justice; Mining Districts, Autonomous Regional Corporations, the ONG, mining guilds, journalists, academy and private company among others; those who took part actively of the workshop in activities that left reflections to promote the mining activity inside standards of sustainable development, doing emphasis in the public - private alliances to promote the local development around the mining operations.

Like part of the dynamics of the workshop, the assistants had to have contact between himself to identify the possible overcomes that affects the attainment of the alliances, in this way to present solutions and a plan of action that contributed to the sustainable progress inside the mining activity, all this with the objective to obtain concrete results to the workshop and leave something productive to undertake alliances generators of development.

The event carried out the days 19 and 20 of April of the present year, in the installations of the Hotel Marriot of Bogotá and was summoned by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Camera ASOMINEROS of the ANDI, and the Colombian Camera of Mining, those who had the support of the International Council of Mining and Metals, ICMM; the International Financial Corporation, IFC; and the Bank Interamericano of Development, BID; with the support of Greystar, Mining, Cerrejón, Anglogold Ashanti, Trust, among others.

To close the event, Beatriz Duque, Director of Mines, proposed the creation of a committee so that the commitments purchased in this day of work did not remain in the air. Also she propose that this committee had to have members of the National Government, employers, the ONG, Mining Districts, academy, Asocars and International Organizations, actors that remain with the commitment to spread the memories of this Workshop and contact between himself to propose, from said memories, concrete actions that will be argued in a next announcement, in four months approximately .