Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development Annual General Meeting 2015

This report details the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 27–29, 2015. The meeting focused on 'The Post-Mining Transition and Environmental Management,' exploring how to integrate environmental, economic, and social planning into the mine life cycle to ensure sustainable transitions and community resilience after closure.

• Pilot assessments of the IGF's Mining Policy Framework (MPF) in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and Madagascar indicated a medium level of readiness regarding legal and policy frameworks, financial benefit optimization, and environmental management. However, these countries showed weaknesses in policies concerning the post-mining transition, socioeconomic benefit optimization, and artisanal and small-scale mining.
• Mine closure planning is increasingly viewed as a mandatory requirement rather than an option, necessitating community ownership and involvement in design and implementation to ensure long-term viability. Experts emphasized that closure and rehabilitation must be integrated into mining negotiations and planned from the start of activities, not just before a mine closes.
• Chile's mine closure legislation includes specific requirements for mandatory progressive closure across different operational stages, periodic auditing of closure plans, and the establishment of a funding mechanism to cover post-closure costs. The legislation also differentiates closure requirements and procedures based on whether the operation is large or small.
• The Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative, established in Canada in 2004, has evolved into an emerging global standard adopted by Canada, Finland, and companies in 11 other countries. While site-level management in tailings management and community engagement has improved, challenges persist in greenhouse gas management, energy usage, and biodiversity conservation management.
• The International Council on Mining and Minerals (ICMM) identified 'social closure'—accounting for the full spectrum of social implications during the post-closure transition—as the next major challenge. Their study of 10 jurisdictions found that while regulations are becoming more risk-averse and focused on environmental cleanup, they often fail to reflect socioeconomic aspects or emerging issues like water and climate change.
• In the South African platinum belt, mine closures can have catastrophic economic and social implications due to a lack of diversified livelihoods, low social resilience, and a lack of social safety nets. Women and children are identified as particularly vulnerable to these impacts.
• Health studies in mining areas reveal a general lack of access to clinics and a lack of privacy for patients. Mine workers face a significantly higher risk of tuberculosis compared to other sectors, and migrant workers are more vulnerable to tuberculosis and HIV due to limited healthcare access and discriminatory treatment.
• Effective financing for mine closure is critical, as no mining entity has ever been found to have overestimated closure costs. The core principle is that mining companies should be fully responsible for financing closure and rehabilitation, including ensuring funds are available for premature closures.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2015). Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development Annual General Meeting 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/IGF-2015-agm-meeting-report-EN.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development Annual General Meeting 2015. 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/IGF-2015-agm-meeting-report-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development Annual General Meeting 2015 |date=2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/IGF-2015-agm-meeting-report-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2015intergovernmental, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development Annual General Meeting 2015}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/IGF-2015-agm-meeting-report-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }