Oxford University’s African Studies Centre has officially announced its cooperation with Ghana Gold Expo Foundation to organise the first Strategic Mining Workshop on CSR and Community Engagement, Impact in December 2022 at Takoradi.
Professor Miles Larmer, Director of the African Studies Centre, explained that the vision for the workshop, which has been jointly developed with Ghana Gold Expo and key stakeholders is to bring together international and national leaders in the mining sector, governmental and mine company representatives, with non-governmental organisations, local community leaders, and academics from both Ghana and the University of Oxford.
The workshop will focus on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining Sector, Investment Agreements between the government and the mining companies, and the use of royalty funds, encompassing the themes of stakeholder engagement, human rights, reporting, and impact assessment.
In Ghana, the Corporate Social Responsibility impact assessment by major mining companies has key policies that ensure the fulfilment and pledges by mining companies in areas including: education, governance, health, infrastructural development (roads, housing, lighting) conservation and sanitation. capacity building and women’s empowerment as well as agriculture.
The workshop will assess the extent to which current Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and mechanisms are meeting the promise of these policies. According to the Executive Director of Ghana Gold Expo Foundation, Dr. Steven Blessing Ackah, this cooperation with the University of Oxford is very crucial and has come at the right time as mining activities are the bedrock of our society, a requisite for Ghana’s development and also the need to have the national framework on CSR impact and reporting in Host Communities.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, anticipates that the workshop will invite the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. The Ghana Chamber of Mines, Minerals Development Fund, Minerals Income Investment Fund, Minerals Commission, Small Scale Miners Association, Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Adamus Resource Limited and Northern Ashanti mining, Newmont Ghana Limited, AngloGold Ashanti, Asante Gold Corporation and other stakeholders. The workshop will be held in December 6th – 7th, 2022 at the Best Western Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi.
