Keynote Panel: Unlocking the future of African mining through balanced contracts

Many African countries have yet to maximise the true value of their mineral resources since gaining independence. This is related to issues such as weak governance, limited knowledge, limited assessment or control of their mineral resources or geodata to underpin negotiations, inadequate capacity, and unfair contracts. Poorly negotiated contracts often lead to poor outcomes for the environment, host communities, civil society, governments, investors, and lenders. Bad contracts and outcomes also hinder mining investment, and affect the supply of important minerals and the stability and security of the mining value chain. Nonetheless, because Africa hosts significant reserves of the minerals required for the energy transition mining, mining on the continent is expected to expand in the foreseeable future, boding well for the future – not least through contracts that are fairer to the owners of the mineral resources.

This Keynote Panel, hosted by the African Development Bank, African Legal Support Facility and CONNEX Support Unit will explore:

- The impacts of contracts and the lessons learned from decades of mining in Africa

- How to get to balanced contracts

- How governments can enhance their negotiation power through investments in mineral exploration

- The importance of negotiating fair and balanced contracts to all stakeholders in a mining project

- Challenges and opportunities presented by climate change and the energy transition, ESG issues, geopolitics, and technology, and recommendations for negotiating better deals.

- The support available to governments to negotiate fairer and durable contracts, including support from the African Development Bank, African Legal Support Facility and CONNEX Support Unit

Wednesday 08 February 11:00 - 12:00 Main Stage

Main Stage

Add to calendar 02/08/2023 11:00 02/08/2023 12:00 Keynote Panel: Unlocking the future of African mining through balanced contracts Many African countries have yet to maximise the true value of their mineral resources since gaining independence. This is related to issues such as weak governance, limited knowledge, limited assessment or control of their mineral resources or geodata to underpin negotiations, inadequate capacity, and unfair contracts. Poorly negotiated contracts often lead to poor outcomes for the environment, host communities, civil society, governments, investors, and lenders. Bad contracts and outcomes also hinder mining investment, and affect the supply of important minerals and the stability and security of the mining value chain. Nonetheless, because Africa hosts significant reserves of the minerals required for the energy transition mining, mining on the continent is expected to expand in the foreseeable future, boding well for the future – not least through contracts that are fairer to the owners of the mineral resources. Main Stage Europe/London