The decision to create CAMMA was taken in Caracas, in 1995, when the Minister of Energy and Mining of Venezuela invited all other Mines Ministers of the Americas to discuss mining political aspects. During this meeting, Ministers Arrieta (Venezuela) and Teplizky (Chile) developed the idea of CAMMA. Although the first Mines Ministries of the Americas Conference (CAMMA is the Spanish acronym) took place in Santiago, Chile, in May 1996, ministers, vice-ministers and senior officials from mining countries such as Chile, Peru, Brazil and Colombia had been meeting regularly since the early 1980s.
Chile’s former Minister of Mines, the late Benjamin Teplizky, with support from his Latin American counterparts and Canada, proposed, organized and hosted the first CAMMA in May 1996, prompted mainly by the major expansion of mining in the region. The Santiago Declaration recognized that mining contributed decisively to the economies of mining countries and reinforced the importance of hemispheric cooperation.
At the Bolivia Summit on Sustainable Development in December 1996, Canada was responsible for having mining included in the action plan so that sustainable development would be addressed at the September 1997 CAMMA.
In preparation for the 2nd CAMMA held in Arequipa, Peru, in September 1997, Chile, Peru and Canada co-sponsored a preparatory Workshop on Sustainable Development in Santiago in July 1997. This Meeting of Experts produced Conclusions in six high-priority areas for the sustainable development of the mining industry (sustainable development of minerals and metals; mining concessions; human resources development; environmental regulations; small-scale mining; and mining policy and the safe use of minerals and metals).
The 1997 Arequipa Declaration recognized the concept of sustainable development and agreed that Mines Ministries of the Americas, inter alia, should: "work on a common approach and coordinate policies on sustainable development"; "work on a common approach and coordinate policies on the safe use of minerals and metals"; and "monitor the degree of progress in the priority areas indicated in the conclusions of the Meeting of Experts held in Santiago, Chile." Fifteen countries signed the Declaration in Arequipa. Subsequently, Colombia and the Dominican Republic signed this Declaration in July 1998 in Lima, Peru, at the beginning of the preparatory conference for the 3rd CAMMA.
The July 1998 preparatory meeting of experts, hosted by Peru, established the three topics for the 3rd CAMMA, which was scheduled to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 1998. These topics were: to harmonize concepts on sustainable development; experiences and proposals for mining integration; and strategies to meet the challenges of the minerals and metals industry. Twelve countries participated.
The 1998 Buenos Aires Declaration reflects the challenges that the current international situation poses for the mining sector and reaffirms the contribution of mining to the sustainable development of each country. It recognizes the value of multi-stakeholder consultations, that mining countries need to participate actively in international fora where minerals and metals issues are being discussed; and the need to adopt, implement and communicate safe use policies and practices aimed at continuous improvement within all countries and to promote the safe use of minerals and metals regionally and internationally. Nineteen countries have signed the 1998 Buenos Aires Declaration.
For the first time, a permanent CAMMA Coordinating Committee was established to carry forward and monitor the action plans of the conference and to organize the next annual conference. It was decided that the Coordinating Committee would comprise : the CAMMA Secretariat (which rotates annually), the next country host, and a representative from each of the Caribbean, North America, Central America, South America (non-MERCOSUR), and MERCOSUR.
In preparation for the 4th CAMMA, a meeting of experts was held in July 1999 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Three themes were discussed and conclusions were prepared for consideration by Ministers and delegates at the 4th CAMMA: Integrating Systems of Mining Information; Modernizing and Strengthening Mining Public Institutions; and Development of Non-Metallic Mining in the Americas. The meeting of experts recognized the importance and hemispheric benefit of disseminating information about each country’s mining sector; the need for improved stakeholder communications and the implementation of transparent systems and procedures in modernizing and strengthening institutions in the mining sector; and the need to develop and increase non-metallic (industrial) mining at the extraction and industrial level. Theses conclusions were incorporated and appended to the 1999 Caracas Declaration following the 4th CAMMA hosted by Venezuela in Caracas. Eighteen countries participated in the 4th CAMMA in Caracas, including six Ministers.
A deliverable under the Buenos Aires Declaration, a Pan American Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health in Mining was held in July 1999 in Buenos Aires. The workshop was co-led by Argentina and Canada with the assistance of Chile and Peru. The workshop focused on three themes: Minerals, Metals, Markets and Social Development; The Safe Use Principle and its Elements; and Safe Use in Practice: Case Studies. Topics addressed included the global challenges facing the sustainable development of minerals and metals, life cycle of minerals and metals, the importance of proper hazard identification, risk assessment and risk management practices, and industry presentations of best practices related to the safe production and processing of minerals and metals, product stewardship, recycling initiatives, sound environmental management practices, and community relations. The conclusions and recommendations of the workshop were incorporated and appended to the 1999 Caracas Declaration.
A second deliverable under the 1998 Buenos Aires Declaration was the design and development of a CAMMA web site which was officially launched at the 4th CAMMA in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 25, 1999. Ministers recognized the need to strengthen the network of existing partnerships across the hemisphere in order to collectively address the challenges facing minerals and metals development, and to benefit from the sharing of information and best practices to foster the development of common approaches and policies for the sustainable development of minerals and metals. The web site (http://www.camma.org) contains a broad range of information related to the sustainable development and safe use of minerals and metals, including direct links to government mines ministries, conclusions from the Pan-American Workshops, and the CAMMA Declarations. Canada will be the webmaster for the CAMMA web site for the next two years until October 2001.
CAMMA 2000 will be hosted by Canada on October 5 and 6, 2000, in Vancouver, British Columbia. |
