TC Project Rwanda: Supraregional Africa - Support for a Regional Certification Mechanism – International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)

Report of the project:

• Supraregional Africa – Promoting sustainable supply chains in the Great Lakes Region – International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)
• Überregional Afrika - Deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit mit der ICGLR - Förderung von nachhaltigen Lieferketten in der Region der Großen Seen

Inspection of semi-industrial tin mine by the Rwandan Mining Authority Source: BGR

The project’s high-level objective refers to developing and initially applying supply chain due diligence and control instruments with regards to mining and trading of minerals in the Great Lakes Region. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region’s (ICGLR) Regional Initiative on Natural Resources forms the underlying reference to this process. BGR’s project includes two main areas: (1) developing the Analytical Fingerprint (AFP) as a tool to evaluate supply chains of “3T” minerals (cassiterite, coltan and wolframite), including the establishing of lab and management capacities in the region; and (2) formalizing and certifying Artisanal and Small-scale Mining of 3T minerals and gold in Rwanda and Burundi/Uganda.

Initially (2011-2013), the project activities focused on advising Rwandan mining authorities with regards to the institutionalization of the “Regional Certification Mechanism” (RCM) at the national level. This includes adapting the legal framework, developing a mine inspection scheme and training regime, as well as creating and operationalizing a mineral export certification unit. In parallel, BGR supported the ICGLR in establishing its regional audit system.
Based on the progress in institutionalizing the basic requirements of the RCM in Rwanda, the project increasingly turns its focus on professionalizing the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining sector. A central focus of this work is the economic sustainability of ASM. Examples illustrating this work comprise study and training projects with regards to mining revenue streams along supply chains (2014); systematic capacity development of mining cooperatives (2015); and the efficiency of traditional mineral processing techniques (2016). In parallel, BGR continues its advisory services to optimize national-level certification work flows.
BGR was active in Burundi from 2012-2014. Project activities included contributions to RCM implementation (mining inspections) as well as supporting peer exchange visits with Rwanda. Burundi represents an important gold producer in the region while also acting as a significant transit country for smuggled gold of DRC origin. Therefore, national and regional analyses were performed as a contribution to developing strategies with regards to the dynamics of the Great Lakes Region’s gold sector. The project’s anticipated work (starting 2017) in Uganda will likely reflect this approach.
Additional information on the project “Support to Regional Mineral Certification” within the regional cooperation program with the ICGLR may be found here.