The meeting of OACPS ministers, which brought together around sixty ministers from member states, representatives of international organizations, pan-African, regional and sub-regional organizations, financial institutions and experts, ended with the signing of a collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Mines and the EU.
It aims to examine for possible adoption the draft OACPS position paper on critical raw materials. Furthermore, these two major moments resulted in the development of important resolutions including: those to bring to fruition the decree implementing the Mining Code, the establishment of the amendment to the CIDIAS Convention, with a view to take into account the terms of contribution to certain funds provided for by the mining code, the establishment of a community mining code, the improvement of transparency, compliance with local law.
Added to this is the implementation of sub-regional infrastructure projects, the creation of zones dedicated solely to artisanal mining, the levy in kind of taxation for each exploitation project, the provision and use of clean energies for better preservation of the environment.
According to Professor Fuh Calistus Gentry, Cameroonian Acting Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, “The Yaoundé Declaration emerged from this meeting which becomes a working and orientation document. It aims to guide member countries to process critical metals and other metals in the countries concerned.
And for this to be a reality, transportable energy resources must be developed and shared. It is also about developing joint mining policies in order to strengthen their negotiating positions with partners around the world.
The OACP countries will also have a system of cooperation so that ideas are shared in terms of technologies, innovation, and metal price control.
