ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme

Data collection for the Baseline Study on Development Minerals in the Republic of Congo
2024-07-05 - 2024-08-19 | Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Between 5 July and 19 August 2024, field data collection activities were conducted in the Republic of Congo, as part of the Baseline Study on Development Minerals.
The lack of data on the Development Minerals and ASM sector is a major challenge in Congo. These field data collection activities consisted of gathering qualitative and quantitative information on the artisanal and small-scale mining sector to inform the programme’s baseline analysis.
Field data collection with an artisanal and small-scale miner
The activities were conducted in six Departments, including Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Kouilou, Bouenza, Cuvette and Cuvette Ouest and covered Development Minerals such as sandstone, sand, gravel, clay, granite, as well as river beds and subsoil gravels.
The data collection focused on:

Minerals mined and mining sites
Profiles of ASM miners, organization and formalization
Mining practices and environment impacts
Market dynamics and value-chains

As a result, the activity provided field data to inform the baseline study as well as a comprehensive assessment of the Development Minerals sector, highlighting current dynamics and key factors and challenges for the development of the sector.

Stone for Development Work-Integrated Learning Program (now Mineral Security Masterclass)
2024-07-01 - 2024-07-12 | Suva, Fiji
In July 2024, geoscientists from Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Australia participated in the Stone for Development Work Integrated Learning Program.
This program, led by the University of Queensland (UQ) and Fiji’s Mineral Resources Department (MRD), trains early-career geoscientists in sustainable development challenges related to Pacific Development Minerals, while also building practical geoscience knowledge and skills.
The SFD program includes 40 hours of online training, followed by a two-week in-person placement in Fiji for scholarship recipients. For 2024, there were 36 registered online participants whereby 18 students (funded by DFATs new Colombo Plan) participated on work placements in Fiji and engaged in projects such as geological hazard mapping and assessment, environmental monitoring of river gravel extraction, river gravel resource assessment, and exploring the role of stone in Fiji’s architectural and cultural heritage.

ASM Cooperative Receives Made-in-Zambia Stone Crusher
2024-06-05 - 2024-06-07 | Livingstone, Zambia
To support value-addition and manufacturing in the sector, the Programme together with UNDP Zambia (Accelerator Lab), supported innovators in the ASM sector.

The Programme provided a small grant to a small-scale enterprise that makes equipment for artisanal miners. The small business run by Victor Pikiti with his son in Kabwe, Zambia, was selected among a dozen entries.

Initially started with manufacturing of agricultural equipment, Mr. Pikiti was inspired to produce equipment for small miners after he has seen the hardship and physical toil of women miners crushing stone. A stone crusher that was produced with this grant was donated to Chibelenga Manual Stone Crushers Cooperative, a women miners’ cooperative in Livingstone.
The initiative helps support domestic production of equipment, while at the same time benefitting artisanal women miners, improving their productivity and incomes. Sustainable business models to promote manufacturing of such equipment in Zambia and its adoption to improve productivity and occupational health of women who previously only used manual tools will be further explored for scaled-up adoption.

Copperbelt Agriculture, Mining, Industrial and Networking Enterprise (CAMINEX)
2024-05-28 - 2024-05-30 | Copperbelt, Kitwe, Zambia
The Copperbelt Agricultural, Mining, Industrial and Networking Enterprise Committee organized and hosted the 2024 edition of the Copperbelt Agricultural, Mining, Industrial and Networking Enterprise (CAMINEX) in May 2024, under the theme “Unlocking Opportunities for Growth: Zambia’s Land linked Position.” The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, in partnership with the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, participated to highlight and showcase implemented activities and the roadmap for future activities in the Programme. CAMINEX served as a platform to facilitate networking among ASMEs involved in the programme, resulting in increased business linkages.

East and Southern Africa Regional Consultative Workshop: Towards an Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Continental Strategy
2024-04-24 - 2024-04-26 | Dar es Salam, Tanzania
The Programme supported the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) in organizing a regional workshop to discuss the artisanal and small-scale mining strategy for East and Southern Africa.
This consultative workshop supported the implementation of the African Mining Vision (AMV) within the artisanal and small-scale mining sector by proposing a strategy to address new and emerging challenges, refining activity options, and harmonizing outcomes at sub-regional and country levels.
During the workshop, participants engaged in validating a baseline assessment and a value chain analysis of Development Minerals in Tanzania. The two analyses included a detailed profiling of the ASM sector and a review of relevant legal, policy, and institutional frameworks governing ASM in Tanzania. The analyses also addressed the environmental, health, safety, and socio-economic impacts of ASM, and emphasized gender-inclusive strategies to promote equal opportunities for both men and women within the value chain in Tanzania.
Policy discussions also focused on aligning the ASM sector with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly to enhance women’s participation. The event also promoted networking and capacity-building among media practitioners to improve reporting on AMV activities while reflecting on regional implementation strategies and drawing lessons from countries in East and Southern Africa.

Forum on Sustainable and Inclusive Mineral Value Chains, South-South Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
2024-04-15 - 2024-04-17 | Lusaka, Zambia
The international Forum on Sustainable and Inclusive Mineral Value Chains addressed the importance of enhancing artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) practices, specifically focusing on Development Minerals which support livelihoods in numerous countries. Organized by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, and hosted by the Government of Zambia, the forum brought together over 140 participants from 30 countries.
The forum enabled knowledge exchange among various stakeholders, including government representatives, UNDP country office representatives, environmental agencies, ASM associations, mining enterprises, chambers of mines, international organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, and private sector entities. Key topics included sustainable ASM practices, governance tools, ASM and large-scale mining linkages, value-addition innovations, digital market integration, mineral information management, and the role of critical minerals in clean energy transition.
The outcomes of the forum included knowledge sharing, innovation exchange, policy advocacy, and networking to foster collaboration and advance sustainable and inclusive mineral value chains.

Exhibition of Development Minerals
2024-04-15 - 2024-04-17 | Lusaka, Zambia
Alongside the Forum on Sustainable and Inclusive Mineral Value Chains, South-South Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing, the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme organized an exhibition on Development Minerals.
The exhibition showcased products made from Development Minerals by ASM enterprises from several African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, demonstrating the impact of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme in promoting economic empowerment and job creation.

Launch of the Digital Geodata Library
2024-04-12 | Suva, Fiji
In partnership with the European Union (EU) in the Pacific and the Pacific Community (SPC) the Programme supported the Mineral Resources Department (MRD) of Fiji to develop and launch its Geodata Digital Library to digitize geological data in Fiji. The Programme further supported the MRD through donation of a high-end scanner to digitize publications which can now be uploaded and accessed through the Geodata Digital Library. This will significantly improve geodata management across the country and will allow external researchers and developers within Fiji to access relevant publications, promoting greater collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Currently, access to the geodata library is limited to users within Fiji.

Training on Formalization, Environment, Health and Safety
2024-01-25 | Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
The Programme conducted training on value-addition, eco-construction and sustainable artisanal mining, helping strengthen the skills of artisanal and small-scale miners, particularly those working with earth materials such as laterite and clay.
Participants at the training on value addition, eco-construction, and sustainable artisanal mining, held during the Technical Session on Formalization, Environment, Health and Safety.
The training focused on value addition, eco-construction techniques, formalization of enterprises, as well as environmental protection, health, and safety throughout the mining cycle.
The training was organized by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Mines. It brought together 52 people, including miners and ASM organisations, mineral sector stakeholders.
Participants gained practical skills to produce suitable local building materials, reduce environmental impacts, and better manage health and safety risks. The sessions combined technical presentations, practical exercises, and interactive discussions, helping participants apply safer, more sustainable, and better-organized mining practices.

Knowledge-Sharing Workshop on Challenges and Opportunities for the Development Minerals Sector
2023-09-26 - 2023-09-27 | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
This workshop, dubbed the “pre-SAMAO workshop” contributed to the advancement of Burkina Faso’s Development Minerals sector. Jointly organized by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, UNDP Burkina Faso, and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries, the event assembled 150 stakeholders and technical experts. It facilitated structured South-South knowledge transfer among ACP-EU Programme partner countries, targeting sectoral optimization through analytical discourse.
The primary objectives of the workshop centered on accelerating formalization of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Enterprises (ASMEs); value chain enhancement for Development Minerals; Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) standardization across community-impact operations; promotion of climate-resilient, economically viable alternative materials (e.g., Stabilized Earth Bricks for circular economy/zero-waste applications); and SME growth and employment generation, specifically addressing youth and women’s unemployment through sustainable enterprise models.
Technical sessions during the workshop focused on four domains:

ASME formalization methodologies
EHS best practices in mineral extraction and processing
Circular economy Integration via stabilized earth brick production
Sand value chain optimization for national economic integration

The workshop established a foundational technical dialogue preceding the 5th SAMAO Mining Conference, directly aligning with strategic imperatives for sectoral resilience, inclusive growth, and environmental governance within Burkina Faso’s development minerals landscape.
Presentations were made by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme (UNDP)’s staff, ASMEs from Cameroon, academia and researchers from the University of Dschang; regulators from the Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, as well as the expert from UNEP-GRID Geneva. The highlights of the workshop were the practical demonstration sessions in making compressed earth bricks from laterite, demonstration of energy-efficient cooking stove from clay made in Cameroon, as well as technical guidance for production of clay pottery. The event also served as a platform to conduct training for trainers on environmental, health and safety issues, and on a zero-waste approach to laterite quarrying.
The workshop had strong ownership by the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Quarries, strong South-South collaboration orientation and vibrant exchanges. For the first time, artisanal miners, potters, policy makers and practitioners from across the four focus countries met in person to share knowledge on critical issues pertaining to the sector such as formalization, extension services, policy making as well as hands on training on value addition through knowledge transfer from Cameroon to new focus countries of the Programme. The workshop generated enormous interest from the participants from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Tanzania.
Speaking of the pre-SAMAO workshop at the opening ceremony, the representative of the EU Delegation in Burkina Faso said that “supporting such an activity makes the organization proud…; several delegations will share their experiences; this is something that is very important”.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Burkina Faso, said in closing: “In many jurisdictions, the legislative framework is geared towards issues relating to large-scale mining. Regulation of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) is often limited to title issues with very little provision for other aspects – from a sustainability and viability perspective. ASM has long been practiced as a source of income, and the process of formalization drive is beginning to emerge only now.” He also highlighted the importance of the African Mining Vision (AMV) in “creating a mining sector that exploits the potential of mining artisanal and small-scale to advance integrated and sustainable rural socio-economic development.”

Innovation to Produce Low-Carbon Materials in Garoua, Cameroon
2023-01-28 - 2024-02-05 | Commune Garoua, North region, Cameroon, Cameroon
From January 28 to February 5, 2023, a study mission was conducted in Garoua, Cameroon, as part of the “Green Mining” initiative, supported by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme.
The East, Far North, and North regions of Cameroon are facing a severe housing deficit exacerbated by security crises. Cement is essential for producing eco-friendly compressed, or stabilized, earth bricks, which can replace fired bricks produced by burning large quantities of trees and vegetation. However, as cement is transported from far away, it is very costly in distant regions.
The mission explored the technical feasibility of producing LC2 (limestone calcined clay), a low-carbon cement variety, sampled locally available raw materials and tested the use of LC2 in stabilization of earth bricks. It examined the possibility of establishing a pilot unit for low-carbon cement production and developed a roadmap.
It concluded that minerals, materials and expertise needed for eco-construction are locally available, and that low-carbon cement production is feasible on both artisanal and semi-industrial scales. Moreover, it was found that it is possible to produce cement using biomass and biogas. The initiative to introduce low-carbon materials production in these regions also has a strong potential for job creation.
