Advocate support for a coherent mining policy and biodiversity conservation

General context: In the selected West African countries (Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Senegal)’ extractive industries sector, the strategic objective aims to generate social and environmental best practices, increase transparency, and achieve a more equitable distribution of benefits to local communities. In fact, all selected countries except Guinea Bissau are members of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and/or Kimberly processes. They are all engaged in the transparency such as “Publish what you pay” network. The project will address governance issues through regional dialogue, capacity building and improved community participation in extractive industries in view of increased access to benefits from the extractive industries as vehicles for improving livelihoods. Main objective is improved governance around the mining development and the management and use of biological diversity for poverty alleviation in selected West African countries (Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Senegal). A coordination team will be made up with representative of civil society organisations in all four countries and representative from IUCN office in Guinea Bissau. Principal activities: Organize regional multi-stakeholders’ seminar on social and environmental issues of extractives industries, compile and publish the best practices on reconciliation of extractive industries, nature and poverty and Produce and disseminate environmental communication and education materials (booklets). The expected outputs of the workshop are (1) the governance body of a Mining, Nature and Society (MNS) networking group within the existing GAWA structure, and (2) an agreed plan of actions. Organize civil society regional workshop to set up the governance body of the regional network. Organize field visits on best practices of integrating nature and social issues in extractives industries in the sub-region. Main expected results: Increased competence, sharing of information and interaction amongst all stakeholders (specifically civil society), A functional sub-regional learning network on mining issues, linked with the IUCN work on the theme Decision makers in Guinea Bissau empowered on mining issues through improved access to information