Western Region ready to host Ghana Gold Expo on March 8, 10

The mining industry which constitutes both large Scale and Artisanal Small Scale can play a crucial role in economic development and poverty alleviation in rural development which a proper value chain is set in place.

Most Africans in rural communities have use Small Scale mining as their most promising, if not the only, income opportunity available. However, the sector is perhaps better known for its high environmental costs and poor health and safety record.

The informality of the sector with many working without legal access to the minerals and land they mine poses risks to governments attempting to establish good governance, peace, and security.

As part of the 3-day historic event to showcase Ghana's gold it position seeks to train small scale miners by undertaking due diligence to effectively identify and respond to risks in their supply chain, companies can help contribute to breaking the link between minerals and conflict, while also creating environments that promote the formalization of the artisanal and small scale miners and ultimately equitable peace and development.

The Ghana Gold Expo is to further create a synergy among stakeholders and build proper structures in gold mining as one of the proponents of gold mining includes the contribution to substantial economic benefits to the mining communities increasing incomes and reducing poverty levels and extending the value chain to other sectors of the economy.

Nevertheless without the immense contribution to the people there are adverse effects which the operations of these mining activities have left the communities into several environmental degradations and defeating the sustainable development goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.

Dr. Nawal Aït-Hocine, CEO of Positive Impact and an independent compliance, sustainability and legal professional with 20 years’ experience in executive positions, managing and protecting corporate risk and reputation while shaping industry best practice in several sectors as well as of due diligence programmes, running investigations and coordinating certification audits

She will be presenting a training module centered on RESPONSIBLE GOLD SUPPLY CHAIN detailing due diligence requirements for international markets such as the OECD requirements, how to engage with artisanal and small scale mining creating a supply chain from mine to retail and the different certification for supply chain.

Keynote Speaker: H.E NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, President.

Other Speakers include: HON. MIN. DR OKYERE DARKO MENSAH, Western Regional Minister, Western Region, DR. SAID DERAZ, Chairman C.E.O of, EUROGET GROUP (GOLD COAST REFINERY), SELIM FENDI, CEO, Aurum Monaco, DR. NAWAL AIT HOCINE, CEO, Positive Impact, MR. JOHAN ZIETSMAN, Director, Gold Recovery Ghana Limited, MR. LAURENT FAVRE, CEO of A. Favre & Fils & Co-founder Swiss Better Gold Association, JEFFERY RHODES, Head of Trading for Aurum Monaco and Co-Founder, MAMADOU TOURE, Founder, Africa 2.0 Foundation, DR. CHRISTIANA O. HOOD, Physicist, UCC Ghana, GERHARD SCHUBERT, CEO, Schubert Consulting, BILL MCKECHNIE, SNOWDENS Regional Manager, Africa, MR. LUDOVIC BERNAUDAT, Senior Task Manager, United Nations Environment Program, DANIEL STAPPER, Manger of Pact’s Mines to Markets (M2M) program, PROF. ALEX DODOO, Director General, Ghana Standard Authority, ROSS NORMAN, Precious Metal Consultant.

The Ghana Gold Expo will be held in Takoradi from 8th-10th March 2020 at Best Western Premier Atlantic Hotel.