Mineral rights, equity meet due

KIGALI - Delegates from at least 13 African countries are expected in Kigali, next week, for a high-level regional conference on international best practices in auctions for mineral exploration and mining rights. The conference is organised by the UNDP Regional Project for Capacity Development for Negotiation and Regulation for Investment Contracts, and the Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). It comes as a response to governments’ demand for training and capacity building on negotiation skills for large investment contracts. According to a press statement, the three-day dialogue will be an opportunity for exchange of experiences informed by case studies on the best methods to allocate private parties the rights to use mineral resources. The dialogue will cover fundamentals of mineral licensing with focus on auctioning systems, as a means to generate better value out of mineral terrains, as well as equipping the participants with essential skills for successful negotiation of mineral contracts. “The regional dialogue session will provide practical training and guidance on the critical considerations and conditions for successfully auctioning mineral resources,” reads part of the statement. The dialogue will attract delegates from Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo, Eritrea, Djibouti, Uganda and Seychelles. Others will come from Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and hosts Rwanda. Ends