Updated 15/03/2002

Regional Partner — MMSD North America

Structure

Research and Participation

MMSD's activities in North America were carried out by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in Winnipeg, Canada. IISD was assisted in this task by the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada. MMSD North America covered Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Structure

MMSD North America had a regional coordinator responsible for planning and managing project activities. In addition, multistakeholder work groups were established on each of its regional research tasks.

Research and Participation

MMSD North America began its consultation process through an initial regional 'scan' reaching out to individuals and organisations across the United States and Canada. These were followed by workshops involving participants from both countries. Five tasks were identified:

1. development of a profile of the contribution and implications of mining and minerals in North America (to people, their communities, ecosystems, economies) from the perspective of various communities of interest;

2. development of sustainability guidelines for design, operation and performance monitoring (called a "test" by some, a "lens" by others);

3. development of a range of likely future scenarios for mining and minerals ;

4. development of an agenda for change addressing mining and minerals and the implicated communities of interest; and

5. a final report.

Visit the MMSD North America website
to access their newsletters and working documents

Or contact Regional Coordinators Anthony Hodge at info@iisd.ca or Dirk van Zyl at dvanzyl@mines.unr.edu

Visit and subscribe to Mining Alert, an electronic-based listserv of key mining-related news stories

Events

Workshop 1, Task 4 (Scenarios)
5-7 September 2001, Winnipeg

Dialogue Forum Initiating Meeting (Centre for Dialogue)
23-25 September 2001, Winnipeg

Workshop 2 Task 4 (Scenarios)
1-3 October 2001, Reno

Workshop Task 2 (Test/Guidelines)
11-13 October 2001, Tuscon

North American Mining Dialogue
7-9 November 2001, Vancouver in partnership with the Centre for Dialogue of Simon Fraser University

This event brought together about 150 individuals from diverse stakeholder groups, including companies (junior, intermediate, major, and service), First Nations/Native Americans, NGOs, labour, mining-dependent communities, researchers, and government (federal, state/provincial, and local). The meeting aimed to provide an opportunity to build a basis for informing subsequent discussions, decisions, and actions within each of these stakeholder groups. MMSD North America is working towards generating an on-going mechanism for periodic North American Mining Dialogues)

Further information on these events may be obtained from the MMSD North America website

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