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

The 2015 IGF Annual General Meeting in Geneva brought together over 230 participants to discuss the integration of environmental, social, and economic planning into the mine life cycle. Key discussions centered on the necessity of early mine closure planning, the alignment of mining activities with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the challenges of financing reclamation. The meeting also presented pilot assessments of the Mining Policy Framework (MPF) in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and Madagascar, highlighting gaps in socioeconomic benefit optimization and post-mining transition laws.

• Pilot assessments of the Mining Policy Framework (MPF) in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and Madagascar indicated a medium level of readiness regarding legal frameworks, financial benefit optimization, and environmental management, but revealed weaknesses in laws governing the post-mining transition, socioeconomic benefit optimization, and artisanal and small-scale mining.
• Mine closure planning must be treated as a mandatory requirement from the start of mining activities rather than an optional end-of-life process, with an increasing need for community ownership to ensure long-term viability.
• The Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative, originating in Canada in 2004, has evolved into a global standard adopted by Canada, Finland, and companies in 11 other countries, showing improvements in tailings management and community engagement, though gaps remain in greenhouse gas management and biodiversity conservation.
• A study of 10 jurisdictions by the International Council on Mining and Minerals (ICMM) found that while regulations are becoming more risk-averse and focused on environmental cleanup, they often fail to reflect emerging issues like climate change and water, and lack sufficient focus on the socioeconomic aspects of 'social closure'.
• In the South African platinum belt, mine closures can have catastrophic social and economic impacts due to a lack of diversified livelihoods, low social resilience, and the absence of a social safety net, with women and children being particularly vulnerable.
• Mining companies should be held fully responsible for financing closure and rehabilitation plans, including ensuring funds are available for premature closures, as closure costs are significant and typically not overestimated.
• Health assessments in mining areas reveal significant gaps, including a lack of access to clinics, a lack of patient privacy, unaddressed mental health issues, and a higher risk of tuberculosis for mine workers compared to other sectors.

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} }