The West African Civil Society Forum has called for harmonisation of policies and laws to protect communities living in mining sites.
The General Secretary, Komlan Messie, made this call at the opening of the Civil Society Workshop on Mining and Mining Development Act in Abuja on Friday.
According to him, the ECOWAS Mineral Development Policy recognises the need for strategic shifts in the role of mining in the transformation of West Africa’s economy.
He noted that harmonisation of institutional, legislative and regulatory frameworks would help in the enhancement of effective environmental protection of mining activities.
He said there was the need for safe mining processes, adding that conditions of mining activities have larger impact on women and others who depend on it for survival.
According to him, the environmental, economic impact of mining should be taken into account, protection of these sites should be a priority, especially by ensuring that environmental impact assessment is taken into account.
