Shaping Karamojas mining future: The Karamoja mining symposium
In preparation of the Karamoja Mining Symposium, Ecological Christian organization (ECO) in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, GIZ, Montrose International, Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum organized a joint pre-consultation meeting for national and Karamoja CSOs was held in Kampala on 21st March 2017 at Africana Hotel in Kampala.
20 CSOs including Transparency international, safer world, Global rights Alert, Karamoja Development Forum, GIZ peace service among other positively engaged by sharing CSO perspectives/concerns regarding the sector opportunities, investment, legislations, land and environmental concerns, sustainability and inclusiveness among others . This joint meeting was attended by over 20 CSO representatives from CSO organizations working on mining issues at the local and national level s
Pertinent issues that stood out were the delay in the amendment of the current mining policy 2001 and the mining act 2003, the lack of regulations and government focused development programs for the ASM sector, lack of a local content policy, inadequate collaboration and coordination mechanisms within CSOs, CSO enabling space and inadequate financing and lack of a framework for engaging the private sector. To this effect the CSOs made recommendations to these issues directed to the government, CSOs, development partners and private companies
Ultimately the pre-consultation meeting generated a CSO position titled “Working together to build a responsible, inclusive and sustainable mining sector in Karamoja”