News:

Early Harvests from the MMSD Process

MMSD Southern Africa's Multi-Stakeholder Workshop

MMSD South America's Second Regional Meeting

Preparatory Meeting with Indigenous People

MMSD's Process Around the World: MMSD Australia

MMSD North America

MMSD South America

MMSD Southern Africa

Heads Up For: MMSD Events in October

MMSD Events in November

MMSD Events in December

For a printable version of the MMSD news bulletin, click here.

News:

A Few Early Harvests from the MMSD Process

In nineteen months of operation, the MMSD process has accomplished several things:

• It has built a solid and exciting base of research and information. Several dozen draft and final research reports have been completed, on a wide variety of subjects.
• MMSD has achieved a broader level of consultation and participation than many thought possible. The central office in London has organised some 21 workshops and stakeholder meetings, 18 of which have been held, with some 480 attendees. Each of these will result in a workshop report of the principal conclusions. Regional and national level results appear to have been even more gratifying. There were 300 attendees at the Chilean national meeting alone.
• A network of organisations, institutions, and people has formed, focussed on how to achieve needed change in the minerals sector. There is increased reason to think that this network may survive and grow after the MMSD process itself comes to an end.

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The challenge now is to synthesise this enormous base of information and opinion into a set of sharp, broadly shared visions of the agenda for change. We hope that the publication of MMSD's draft report in mid-December will help to focus that vision. We also hope that it will generate a vigorous debate about that forward vision.

This process has been, and will continue to be, very challenging. Yet it has been productive and encouraging as well. The Project has aimed to provide a platform for strong differences of opinion to emerge and be discussed. Workshops, meetings and interviews have seen some sparks fly. But many times, after views have been expressed and understood, new ideas as to what to do next have emerged. Though the process has not been perfect it is yielding significant commitment, enthusiasm and creativity from a variety of stakeholder groups. Many believe that it is generating momentum for change in the sector.

The MMSD Project thrives on comment and criticism. These have helped MMSD to keep itself on track, constantly check its participation and consultation mechanisms and remain open to listening to diverging views.

Several recent MMSD events have been particularly encouraging.

MMSD Southern Africa's Second Multi-Stakeholder Workshop

MMSD Southern Africa held its second nine-country multi-stakeholder workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa on 18-19 September 2001. The purpose of this meeting was to:

• update stakeholders on the project's progress,
• present the six research reports to them,
• agree on key recommendations, and
• identify possible mechanisms for implementation of the findings.

Approximately 90 representatives from stakeholder groups across the region attended. The wide range of constituencies represented ensured that the presentations of the research reports were followed closely and enthusiastically questioned and debated. Participants discussed the key recommendations arising from the research reports in small groups, prioritised them, identified gaps and presented these in plenary, where they were once again debated. The thoroughness of the process, and the vigorous discussions, ensured that valid recommendations would be put forward in the regional report.

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The discussion on HIV/AIDS confirmed the prioritisation of the pandemic as a key challenge in the regional transition towards sustainable development. Government was recognised as bearing the prime responsibility for curtailing the spread of the disease, and industry was identified as being a natural leader, a role which - it was noted - it has already adopted to some extent. Nonetheless, participants agreed that this is a challenge that could only be met through concerted action by stakeholders, as no single one has the capacity to avert the crisis predicted for the region as a result of the disease.

The discussions around small-scale mining showed that all stakeholders are aware of the importance this sub-sector has in the region, not only because of the large numbers employed, but also because of the very real environmental, health and safety concerns around the way its activities are carried out. Two recommendations were regarded as prerequisites for the sector to transition to a more sustainable model of development: its increased incorporation in the formal sector and the formation and support of small-scale miners' associations and cooperatives. Again, participants at the workshop regarded a multi-stakeholder approach as essential.

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The presentation on mining and society emphasised local development issues. It was argued that liberalisation policies in SADC had led to optimism about regional economic prospects, but some participants felt this outlook was belied by the high levels of poverty that remain in the region.

It was also expressed that there is a need for companies to have social development plans in place from the outset, and to draw these up in consultation with the local communities and other stakeholders. Participants argued that local authorities tended not to consider the private sector when drawing up their development plans, and interaction between the mine and the community was the exception rather than the rule. Emphasis was placed on partnerships, but these had to be sustainable and benefit the whole community.

In addition, little progress in the advancement of women in the sector was reported. It was recommended that stakeholders take proactive measures in this regard, both to attract women to the industry and to retain them once they were there. There was a lack of research into the position of women in the industry, and this was identified as a gap that could be filled during an implementation phase of MMSD findings.

Participants queried the fact that the focus of the biophysical research report had not been on water, even though water management was a key challenge in the region. The explanation given - that this was due to the short timeframe and the reduction of the research budget - was accepted, but participants suggested that a recommendation be formulated to cover other crucial aspects of the biophysical component.

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Discussions highlighted the need for a harmonisation of SADC policies for water management and the finalisation of regional databases. More particular concerns included acid mine drainage and the effects of small-scale mining activities on water. Government and industry were identified as the key stakeholders in the management of water pollution resulting from mining activities.

The possible structures for implementing the recommendations of MMSD were discussed at length in plenary sessions and break-out groups. There was a large measure of agreement that existing structures should play an important role in implementation. SADC was identified as a possible facilitator for a high level multi-stakeholder compact. The foundation for this compact should be a set of principles which would be agreed to by all stakeholders.

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Presentations on the environmental aspects of the sector and the distribution of mining rents followed and built on the momentum of the workshop towards agreeing on implementation mechanisms to take as many of these recommendations forward as possible. These were summarised as follows:

• Need some higher level forum - perhaps SADC as a facilitator
• Make use of existing initiatives/institutions
• Matrix for implementation mechanisms useful
  
• Existing initiatives/institutions or new bodies could be responsible for implementing
• Solid foundation of forum will be a series of principles
• Need to ensure that recommendations are both pushed and pulled by SADC

Regional Steering Committee Chairperson Archie Palane of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers affirmed that, in his view, MMSD Southern Africa had "mapped out [their] part of the puzzle of sustainable development" during this workshop and that an action plan could now be visualised.

For more details on this workshop, visit MMSD Southern Africa's website where the proceedings are available at www.mining.wits.ac.za/mmsd.html#proceedings.

MMSD South America's Second Regional Meeting

MMSD South America held its second regional meeting in Lima, Peru on 24-25 September 2001. The meeting was attended by their multi-stakeholder regional Advisory Group, Regional and National Coordinators as well as about 30 observers representing various stakeholder groups from the region.

The meeting was opened by Peru's Vice-Minister of Mines and Energy Cesar Polo who spoke of the historical importance of mining as a contributor to economic growth in the region. He also recognised that in a context of sustainable development, mining needed to change and be mindful of the environment and national development.

Following this introduction, national coordinators presented to the Advisory Group and observers their respective achievements, preliminary findings and the challenges they have encountered throughout the process. Laura Barreto presented the Brazilian case, Hernán Blanco described the Chilean process, Fabián Sandoval briefed the group on Ecuador, Manuel Glave shared the Peruvian experience and Juan Carlos Enriquez outlined the process in Bolivia.

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The second day of the meeting began by discussing MMSD South America's perspective on how their regional findings could be incorporated in MMSD's Project Report. Many voiced concerns about the mechanisms through which this could be accomplished. It was noted that external agendas should not be imposed on the region and that they themselves need to propose a relevant agenda that enables the region to gain a better footing to confront the challenges of globalisation.

Following this session, the participants were divided into four break-out groups. The topics for these groups were based on written feedback that all attendees provided during the national presentations. This was done in an effort to streamline the groups and begin forming a regional action plan.

The groups dealt with the issues of public management, local development, environmental management and small-scale mining. These issues emerged from the regional survey and the workshops, as the priority themes in the region (survey report and the minutes of over 50 workshops held in the region may be accessed on their website, www.mmsd-la.org). Participants were asked to pinpoint specific policies that would need to be put in place as well as the research and capacity gaps which they felt existed. These were presented and discussed in plenary in a following session.

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On the issue of public management it was suggested that mining should not be seen as a 'stand-alone' sector but as part of a national/regional sustainable development strategy which also incorporates other sectors. The need to implement mechanisms for articulating mining with communities and government at local, regional and national levels was also voiced. Issues of decentralisation and capacity-building at the national and local government level and the tools that could be used to achieve this were also discussed. These included environmental impact assessments that incorporate socio-cultural criteria, establishing sustainability indicators, identifying and disseminating experiences from which positive lessons could be learnt, and mechanisms that would ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits generated by mining.

A second group dealt with issues surrounding local development. Decentralisation emerged as a major theme in this discussion, including what would it mean for communities to manage themselves and not depend on central governments. It was argued that the role industry plays in local development needs to move from paternalism to partnership, but that industry has a responsibility to build the capabilities required by community groups to enter into equitable partnerships with more powerful stakeholders such as industry and government.

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The social and environmental performance of mining activity was discussed in a third group. A Sustainability Fund was proposed to mitigate unforeseen damages. In addition, it was noted that participatory mechanisms need to be put in place and the role of the government as regulator needs to be vindicated.

A fourth group looked at the issues confronting small-scale mining in South America. Small-scale mining (SSM) was presented as a reality in the region, which contributes to decentralised local development, generates rents and employment at the local level and also contributes to the sector's overall GDP. Some of the challenges confronting SSM - pollution, health and safety hazards, child labour and uncontrolled migration patterns - were also discussed. It was argued that SSM should operate in an appropriate legal framework that guarantees livelihoods, safety and health and access to credit. A research agenda was also proposed. It included updated information on the social and economic importance of SSM, its social and environmental negative and positive impacts, technology improvements throughout the mining cycle, and their relationship with large mining companies.

For more information on MMSD South America and the Lima meeting results, visit their website at www.mmsd-la.org.

Preparatory Meeting with Indigenous People in Quito, Ecuador

MMSD hosted a preparatory meeting and workshop to discuss mining issues with indigenous peoples' representatives on 27-28 September 2001 in Quito, Ecuador. This meeting was planned and prepared in close cooperation with MMSD South America's coordinator for participation - the Mining Policy Research Initiative of the International Development Research Centre (MPRI/IDRC) - and their national partner organisation in Ecuador, Ambiente y Sociedad.

In spite of the travelling restrictions following the tragic events of September 11th, the meeting enjoyed the participation of indigenous attendees from several Latin American countries, Central Asia, South East Asia and Australia along with experts on indigenous peoples' issues in the context of the mining and minerals sector.

The meeting was opened by Sebastiao Manchineri, General Coordinator of the Amazon Basin Indigenous Organisations (Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica, COICA) and Miguel Carvajal, Executive Director of Ambiente y Sociedad. The nationalities represented included Ecuador's Kichua people through ECUARUNARP and FONAKIN and the Federation of Indigenous People and Farmers of Imbabura, (Federación Indígena y Campesina de Imbabura). The Atacaman Peoples' Council from Chile (Concejo del Pueblo Atacameño), representatives from Panama and indigenous groups who inhabit a land area shared by Bolivia, Brazil and Peru were also present. The Philippines' Cordillera People's Alliance were also represented along with indigenous participants from Papua New Guinea and Australia. Attendees also came from the region of Kyrgyzstan adjacent to the Kumtor Gold Mine. Attendees from Indonesia and Canada were unable to travel as a result of complications caused by the events of September 11th.

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The two-day meeting began with a series of brief presentations by each of the participants. These were informal, heart-felt accounts of their peoples' experiences with mining projects and their interactions with companies and governments. These accounts highlighted the challenges brought by the profound processes of transformation these groups experience as a consequence of the historical and socio-economic context in which they live. These presentations were also used as the basis for break-out group discussions which took place during the second day.

The meeting made clear that the different indigenous participants felt themselves to be at different stages of maturation in their relationships with and capacity to address questions of mining on their land. While some participants spoke of negotiation on key issues of economic benefits and involvement in decision-making, others spoke of needing the opportunity to establish and clarify more fundamental rights before negotiating about mining.

The break-out group work aimed to pinpoint the strategic topics that should - according to the participants - be included in discussions between indigenous people, companies and governments. The first issue to emerge regarded recognition of the rights of indigenous people and their role in regional decision-making processes.

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Later on, the groups focused on outlining a set of general principles to which other stakeholders should adhere in their interactions with indigenous people. The groups were also asked to address issues of government policy and the company practices they felt would be useful in this context.

The first principle identified was the need for understanding and respect of the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples, including their cultural and spiritual connection with their lands. This was followed by calls for the ratification of ILO Convention 169 and the incorporation of criteria on indigenous people issues in ISO norms. Building on this discussion, the plenary agreed that an international indigenous organisation providing advice, direction and strategic monitoring of the sector's performance on indigenous peoples issues - which would also oversee the implementation of this set of principles - would be a desirable outcome.

Governments were perceived as needing to develop legislative processes that simultaneously support the interests of both the mining sector and indigenous people. It was also noted that governments need to commit to work in cooperation with both groups to ensure tangible and sustainable results.

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In the opinion of the attendees, companies are to contribute more fully to the economic and social development of indigenous peoples through employment opportunities. In addition, participants concluded that an international framework and standards need to be in place to regulate mining activities at the local, regional and national levels.

Further, the plenary session revealed the usefulness of exchanging experiences related to their relations with the mining sector. Participants stated that they found the gathering very integrating and called for the creation of an information and coordination network on indigenous people and mining issues.

These ideas will be followed on in a second meeting - scheduled to take place in Australia in mid -December - which will include representatives from other stakeholder groups and will build on the progress achieved in Quito. For more information, contact Andrea Steel at andrea.steel@iied.org, or visit MMSD's webpage on indigenous peoples and mining.

MMSD's Consultation Process Around the World: Perspectives from the Regional Partners

MMSD Australia

MMSD Australia began its consultation process during the initial MMSD Australia Conference in December 2000 in Melbourne, where a broad ranging research programme related to priority issues identified by regional stakeholders was set.

Following on from that conference, MMSD Australia commissioned a baseline assessment of how the Australian minerals industry responds to sustainability drivers; specific studies on mining and biodiversity; community consultation; stakeholder engagement; the establishment and operation of mining company agreements with indigenous communities; the management of mineral wealth; and the operation of voluntary industry initiatives.

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This research programme continued to be developed and fine-tuned through a series of workshops and Conferences. In addition, most of the individual research projects have incorporated their own participatory processes (the Baseline Assessment, for example, built on a workshop with local government, industry and community in the mining town of Orange in New South Wales). Research coordinators have also presented their work at MMSD Australia Conferences in Perth in July and in Brisbane in September. The research will be completed in November and presented at MMSD Australia's next Conference in Melbourne on 6-7 December 2001 - where the goal will be to identify the key themes emerging from the research and to agree on the broad outline and content of MMSD Australia's regional report.

The MMSD Australia Conferences to date have been highly successful both in terms of moving forward the research programme and in establishing contact between a diverse range of groups interested in mining and sustainable development. Average attendance at these Conferences is about 70. MMSD Australia has endeavoured to give the Western Australia and Queensland Conferences a strong regional focus, while the Melbourne is expected to have a national focus.

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In addition to MMSD Australia research coordinators, speakers from outside the MMSD project have been included to provide a broader perspective on the work being developed. Examples include Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia who spoke about his government's policy programme in this area; David Haigh, formerly President of the North Queensland Conservation Council who spoke about broader social and environmental challenges and placed mining-NGO relations within that context; and Jeff Atkinson, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad who spoke about the need for mining companies to adopt a rights-based approach to their relations with host communities. These Conferences bring together individuals from industry, state and federal government, research, community and environmental NGOs, organised labour and indigenous groups. The feedback received suggests that this is unique in Australia - there is no other neutral space in which these groups can come together to address sustainable development issues within a broader framework - and is very much appreciated by participants.

As MMSD Australia moves into the final 6 months of the project, much of their attention will be focused on maintaining the process beyond March 2002. The experience to date suggests that MMSD Australia is adding significant value and that - if the process and resources are right - there is a strong demand for this regional process to continue.

For more information on MMSD Australia, visit their website at www.ameef.com.au, or contact Bren Sheehy at bren@ameef.com.au.

MMSD North America

MMSD North America began its consultation process through an initial regional 'scan' reaching out to dozens of individuals and organisations across the US and Canada. These were followed by workshops involving 40 people from both countries. These discussions led to the identification of a series of issues of regional concern. These include abandoned mines, workers' rights and worker and community health and safety, indigenous peoples' concerns, recycling and the offshore implications of North American-based industry operating elsewhere in the world.

As many individuals and organisations continued to address these concerns, four tasks were identified: (1) a profile of North American Mining and Minerals, (2) Test for Sustainability, (3) North American Mining Dialogue, and (4) Scenarios for the Future. A fifth task was proposed to be a regional report aiming to synthesise these activities.

Work groups were formed around each task. These groups involve about 25 individuals reflecting the broad range of communities of interest implicated by the mining and minerals sector. In the case of Task 1 in particular there will be a web-based review of the report coordinated by the North American Institute based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

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The Mining Dialogue will be hosted and led by the Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada on 7-9 November 2001. This event is expected to bring together some 150 individuals who reflect a wide range of perspectives within the stakeholder groups including: companies (junior, intermediate, major, service); First Nations/Native Americans; NGOs; labour; mining dependent communities; researchers; and government (federal, state/provincial and local). Participants will be asked to share their perspectives and insight, not to formally represent anyone or any organisation. It is hoped that the Dialogue will provide a special opportunity to build a basis for informing subsequent discussions, decisions, and actions within each of these stakeholder groups. Each of the work teams will be challenged with identifying suggestions for change to current practice that would bring the industry in line with the concept of sustainable development.

As MMSD North America's workshops, meetings and other events take place, all documentation and meeting records are posted on their website. In addition, all publications - including draft and final reports - will be made available for public review. The Regional Final Report is scheduled to be crafted by a work group of about 10 individuals drawn from the work groups and broad web-based review will be used prior to finalisation.

For more information on MMSD North America, visit their website at www.iisd.org/mmsd.

MMSD South America

MMSD South America's participatory process began by setting the following goals for itself and developing the networks, methodology and tools necessary to accomplish them:

• identifying the key issues of each stakeholder group in the context of mining and sustainable development in the region,
• doing so based on the formulations made by the stakeholders themselves,
• identifying national and regional priorities, and
• producing regional and national agendas addressing policy, capacity-building and research agendas for the future
  

The process has been carried out in a decentralised manner focussing on Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru, where national teams concurrently conducted research and participatory activities. These national-level processes worked in close cooperation with one another and with the regional coordinators: IDRC's Mining Policy Research Initiative working from Montevideo, Uruguay (responsible for the participation component) and CIPMA (responsible for research) from Santiago, Chile.

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To meet its participation objectives MMSD South America developed the following activities and products:

• Stakeholder profiles were developed for each country. The stakeholder groups involved included regional, national and local government; multinational companies operating in the region; national companies; labour unions; artisanal and small-scale mining organisations; indigenous peoples; local communities adjacent to mining projects; NGOs; consultants and academics; international cooperation agencies. This identification of interest groups was an important first step for the planning of the engagement process.
• A survey was designed, applied and completed by 345 individuals from 15 Latin American countries. The results - available in their website at www.mmsd-la.org - helped prioritise the main issues of concern for different groups in the various countries and fine-tune the regional research and participatory agenda.
• Over 50 workshops attended by over 700 participants were conducted. Eighteen of these workshops called on government representatives, 18 congregated individuals from industry and 23 gathered civil society groups. These workshops were carried out at the national level and were designed to allow for the particularities of each country's reality and possibilities. In addition, MMSD South America found that the workshops served both to complement and to validate the results of the survey.
  

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• Two regional meetings with the Advisory Group, Regional Coordinators, National Coordinators and interested observers have been held to present preliminary findings and receive feedback and advice.
  
• A bi-monthly news bulletin is widely distributed throughout the region. These bulletins clearly state MMSD South America's objectives and activities. They also report on the progress in research and participation, survey findings and global events. The third regional bulletin is due to be published in early November.
• An up-to-date regional website was created to keep a record of all activities and workshop reports (www.mmsd-la.org). The site has received over 35,000 visitors from over 50 countries. It was designed to document the process and make available to the public the knowledge base being generated by the MMSD South America process.
  

A combination of these activities and the research process led to identifying and validating 17 key topics around which MMSD South America has formulated its research programme and will continue its participation activities. These are: mining in indigenous lands; mining in protected areas and high biodiversity areas; tools and capabilities for public sector resource management; spaces, mechanisms and capabilities for the participation of civil society in decision-making processes related to mining; access, use and generation of relevant information on mining; royalties and taxes; distribution of royalties and taxes among the federal, provincial and municipal levels; artisanal and small-scale mining; environmental performance; employment; local development (social, economic, cultural, environmental); rights and management of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity, minerals, etc); technological and scientific development; mine closure; abandoned mines; market access and competition; and the incidence of international agreements, treaties and standards.

For more information on MMSD South America, visit their website at www.mmsd-la.org.

MMSD Southern Africa

Early in the MMSD Southern Africa process the stakeholders in the mining and minerals sector identified themselves. They were: labour, industry, associates, academia, government, NGOs and small-scale miners. These groupings proved consistent, but the engagement process was enriched by the fact that stakeholders have cross-cutting issues and experiences. This has facilitated multi-stakeholder discussion of sustainable development challenges.

The first major outcome of the stakeholder engagement process was the identification of the critical issues in the region which were prioritised for research. This was done by means of questionnaires, followed by a multi-stakeholder meeting in November 2000.

One of the practical objectives that MMSD Southern Africa set itself was to ensure a continuous flow of information to stakeholders. Newsletters reported on progress in the regional and global processes. Papers, news items and articles were sent to specific stakeholders.

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MMSD Southern Africa also hoped to contribute to the regional knowledge base by providing information about websites and newsletters from organisations working in related fields. Papers on topics of general interest and conference reports, as well as issue-specific documents such as information on the Collaborative Group on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (CASM) were disseminated. Increasingly the regional Work Group is being used as a resource centre.

One of the most effective means of stakeholder engagement was the focus group meetings that were held in Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Stakeholders had the opportunity to gain clarity about the MMSD process and to articulate the priority issues in their countries. MMSD Southern Africa believes that there is a strong possibility of country chapters if these early efforts are followed up vigorously.

In addition to national focus group meetings, meetings were also held with specific stakeholder groups. Again, the one-on-one contact encouraged the free expression of concerns and provided the Work Group with valuable insights into the different issues confronting stakeholders.

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Southern Africa is a vast region and ensuring optimal stakeholder participation in a short space of time proved to be a difficult task. Many stakeholders do not have access to the internet or e-mail, telephone connections are not reliable and the postal services are slow. Reaching one community-based organisation requires that an individual - keen to remain involved - travels 20 kilometres to collect a fax.

The multi-lingual nature of the region also complicates stakeholder consultation, and it is a cause for concern that comments are requested on complex documents from stakeholders who have English as a second or third language.

MMSD Southern Africa also feels that NGO representation remains limited and, even after focused efforts, gender organisations have not been fully participated and engaged in the process. These limitations on the success of the stakeholder component of the process have, to some extent, been off-set by greater regional representation and growing participation by stakeholder groups such as labour.

MMSD Southern Africa recently presented the first results of an intense ten-month period of activities to about 90 representatives of various stakeholder groups (see full story above). Their draft regional report is now available for stakeholder review and input. For more information on the Southern Africa process, contact Marie Hoadley at Hoadley@egoli.min.wits.ac.za, or visit their website at www.mining.wits.ac.za/mmsd.html.

Heads Up For:

The written output from the following meetings will feed into MMSD's Project Report scheduled in draft form for mid-December 2001.

October Events

Biodiversity Workshop. As previously announced, MMSD will be holding a workshop on mining and biodiversity as a follow up to its activities in this area. The workshop will take place in London on 25-26 October 2001. For more information, contact Izabella Koziell, izabella.koziell@iied.org.

November

Access to Information Workshop
This workshop will take place on the 29-30 November 2001 in Vancouver, Canada. Critical issues surrounding the gathering, dissemination, evaluation, reporting and access to information in the sector will be discussed. For further information, contact Frank McShane, frank.mcshane@iied.org.

Small-Scale Mining Researchers' Meeting
MMSD will be holding a researchers workshop on November 19-20 in London. The objectives of the workshop are to provide an opportunity for the researchers who have compiled country studies to meet and exchange experiences, and to discuss the findings from the global, regional and country reports on ASM. The workshop will provide a forum to discuss lessons learned form initiatives designed to improve the contribution of the sector to SD (for example through improving environmental performance or improving access to credit) and to identify good practice. Consideration will be given to how the outputs of this research activity can best be used, particularly with respect to how they will feed into CASM - Collaborative Group on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. For more information, contact Anne-Marie Fleury, annemarie.fleury@iied.org.

December

Indigenous People Follow-up Workshop
A follow-up workshop to the Indigenous Peoples workshop in Quito has been provisionally scheduled for 12-14 December in Melbourne, Australia, as part of the ongoing global dialogue that aims to facilitate discussion on the key issues and challenges faced by indigenous peoples and their relationship with the mining, minerals and metals sector. For further information contact Andrea Steel, andrea.steel@iied.org.

MMSD's Draft Report
MMSD will make its Draft Project Report available to the public in mid-December. This is intended to provide a space for consultation, review and stakeholder input prior to finalising the Report by March 2002. The Report will be available on the Project's web site and posted upon request. If you would like to receive a copy of the Draft Report by post, contact mmsd@iied.org.

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