West Africa Capacity Building Program on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

Mission

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been working since early 2016 with the Liptako-Gourma Integrated Development Authority (LGA) to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the OECD Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains within the 3 Member States (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) in order to promote awareness and the implementation of actions by economic actors for the development of traceable and transparent mineral supply chains that do not finance conflict and human rights violations. Within this framework, this training program for stakeholders was established in the OECD Guidance.

Objectives

The objectives of this program are:

• To increase the scope of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance among mining stakeholders in West Africa.
• To develop and implement a training program on the OECD Guidance for stakeholders in mineral supply chains, especially gold, in the three LGA States.

Expected results

1. Both key stakeholders in the mineral supply chain, especially gold, and auxiliary stakeholders in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger understand the Due Diligence process and have the right tools to apply it on the field.
2. Provide evidence-based recommendations on how to improve, replicate, and extend the training program in other geographical areas.

Main activities

*To hold 7 capacity building programs for stakeholders: 3 in Burkina Faso, 3 in Mali, and 1 in Niger. In Burkina Faso and Mali, 2 out of 3 workshops are held in mining areas.

*To conduct follow-up exercises to identify risks and mitigation measures with some of the most commonly involved actors, particularly in the supply chain.

Target audiences

This program involves actors in the mineral supply chain such as

• Smelters, refineries, local/national traders, exporters.
• Artisanal miners, small- and medium-scale miners, industrial mine operators.
• Regional and international organizations, government institutions
• The banking sector, civil society, universities.