A workshop organised today with mining companies, NGOs and national government officials in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, agrees on the urgency to develop applicable tools to advance responsible mining.
According to Fraser Institute’s recent international survey among executives in metal mining and exploration companies, Finland scores on top of the world on “encouraging investment in mining”. The survey analysed a mix of regulatory and fiscal matters as well as enabling environment. Kyrgyzstan placed at the other end of the table. Both countries experience a mining boom and aim to benefit from the natural resources but there are growing concerns of the environmental impacts and how to distribute risks and benefits.
Today in Bishkek, the workshop addresses the similarities and differences of the two countries and discuss new tools to mitigate and prevent mining conflicts.
A new proposed tool puts more emphasis on social relations, and suggests that environmental impacts assessment pays more attention to social impacts of mining. The tool aims to be useful to mining stakeholders both at the planning phase as well as during the operations.
“The toolkit in making has received a lot of positive interest among the partners in Kyrgyzstan. The toolkit arises from the particular mining situation in Central Asia, but aims to be applicable all over the world”, says professor Rauno Sairinen, University of Eastern Finland.
“The toolkit aims to meet the practical needs of mining companies and their stakeholders, but will not replace the need for good governance, good mining practices and disciplined work towards more responsible mining”, states Pasi Rinne, Gaia Group.
For further information:
- Pasi Rinne, Chairman of the Board, Gaia Group, tel. +41 79 472 6909
