On Friday, 28 October, IGF member countries and representatives from the private sector and civil society convened in two workshops. The first discussed SDG implementation challenges and opportunities for the mining sector, and the second discussed the MPF and SDG comparative analysis.

During the first workshop, Casper Sonesson, UNDP, presented on how countries are moving forward with the SDGs and how the mining sector can positively influence national agendas. Aidan Davy, ICMM, spoke about how the SDGs could be made more relatable and actionable when it comes to private sector participation in the mining sector.  Alexander Medina, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dominican Republic, discussed efforts made by his ministry to communicate and collaborate with the mining industry in Dominican Republic.

During the second workshop, Greg Radford and Matthew Bliss, IGF Secretariat, presented on the relationship between the SDGs and the MPF. They also noted that, based on the results of a survey of member country priorities, MPF pillars 1 (legal and policy framework), 2 (financial benefit optimization) and 6 (ASM) were identified as the highest priorities requiring greater capacity building and technical support. During the discussion, 22 member countries noted they are in the process of updating their national mining laws. Radford underscored the opportunity for the IGF Secretariat to provide expertise and technical assistance to member countries that are in the process of updating their mining laws for greater alignment to the SDGs. Radford also presented survey results on what members preferred for the next IGF guidance document, and noted members’ preference for guidance on local content issues.

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