OAGS-EGS Workshop discussed the role of the EGS in assisting OAGS and its members to increase geosciences knowledge for the benefit of African countries.

17 experts coming from 10 different European Geological Surveys (Poland, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, France, Italy, Lithuania and United Kingdom) and 12 experts coming from 12 African Geological Surveys (Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa) along with the EuroGeoSurveys Secretary General Mr Luca Demicheli and the Organisation of African Geological Surveys President Mrs Gabi Schneider participated in this meeting. The roadmap and tasks of the study were accepted by the African Workshop participants.

At the meeting, OAGS members also elected new office bearers, with Presidency from Namibia (Dr G. Schneider) and the two Vice-Presidents coming from Mozambique (Dr A. Servano) and Niger (Dr H. Amadou).

The EGS - OAGS Workshop took place on Thursday 27th March at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, under the theme "Europe-Africa geoscientific cooperation". Particularly, EGS-OAGS Workshop covered the following topics:

• The perspectives of cooperation with World Bank, UNECA/AMDC, GSAf and UNESCO.
• Next steps (EC, OAGS, EGS statements).
• Forthcoming events (CAG25, OAGS GM)
• EU-AU Business Forum preparation

EGS – AOGS Workshop presentations:

Luca Demicheli - Secretary General, EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) - Welcome address

Françoise Moreau - Head, Africa-EU Partnership and African Peace Facility Unit, European Commission's DG Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid - Opening remarks

Mattia Pellegrini - Head, Metals, Minerals, Raw Materials Unit, European Commission's DG Enterprise and Industry - Opening remarks

Gabi Schneider - President, Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS); Director, Geological Survey of Namibia - OAGS: An introduction

Felix Sadrack Toteu - UNESCO Nairobi Office - UNESCO’s priority Africa : Capacity building for Earth Sciences

Marko Komac - Director, OneGeology (1G) - OneGeology: The second phase

The 5th EU-Africa Business Forum took place on the eve of the EU-Africa Summit, with the intention to give inputs and prepare the Summit 2 days-discussions (31 March-1 April). The Forum brought together more than 500 high-level representatives from European and African business, politics and public institutions. It developed through 12 Roundtables on various topics. EuroGeoSurveys was invited at the Roundtable on Raw Materials, which was chaired in cooperation with the Organization of African Geological Surveys (OAGS), represented by the OAGS President Mrs Gabi Schneider. The participants, that included Euromines, Business Europe and other industrial players and institutions, discussed how to enhance a sustainable exploitation of the minerals wealth of the continent leading to a sustainable economic growth, along four axes: governance, infrastructure, knowledge base and waste management.

The Workshop “Addressing Environmental and Health Impacts of Active and Abandoned Mines in Sub – Saharan Africa” was organized in Prague 26 – 27 May 2104 by Czech Geological Survey.
Numerous representatives of the African education centers took part in the Workshop, coming from South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, DR Congo, Kenia, Cameroun and Tanzania.
Mr Marek Graniczny, Coordinator or PanAfGeo Feasibility Study, presented a paper titled “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in the African Geological Surveys” – Graniczny M., Ploch I. The paper was published in Proceedings of the Closing Workshop of the IGCP/SIDA Projects 594 and 606, Prague, Czech Republic, May 26 – 28, 2014.
Mr Graniczny discussed with Mr Felix Toteu from UNESCO Nairobi Office and other representatives of several geological educational centres on a possible cooperation within the frame of PanAfGeo Project 2015– 2020 for training the geologists of the African Geological Surveys.

The Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) and EuroGeoSurveys took the opportunity of this Congress to organise a special Information Session on the project “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in African Geological Surveys”. The session provided insight and information on a feasibility study undertaken to assess the current state of Geological Surveys in Africa and to develop a strategy for sustainable strengthening of African countries´ geological administrations.
During Information Session the following presentation were given:

Luca Demicheli, EuroGeoSurveys Secretary General - The role of EuroGeoSurveys in Europe-Africa geoscientific cooperation

Gabi Schneider, OAGS President -The role of the Geological Surveys of Africa in strengthening the continent's position in the global arena

Marek Graniczny and Izabela Ploch - “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in the African Geological Surveys” – from concept to present study and future project

Gabi Schneider - Geoscientific Mapping in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Fhatuwani Ramagwede and Riitta Teerilahti - Mineral Resources Assessment in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Duška Rokavec - Primary and secondary resources: recommendations and perspectives

John Tychsen - Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Joanna Lindahl - Mining and Environment Issues in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Adriano Silvestre Senvano and Marek Graniczny - Geohazards mapping and monitoring in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Fhatuwani Ramagwede and Enrique Diaz Martinez - Geoheritage status in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Amadou Hassane and Marc Urvois - Geoscience Information Infrastructure and Management in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Gabi Schneider and Marek Graniczny - The way forward

After presentation an open discussion took place on the involvement and role of non Geological Surveys stakeholders (Chairs: Mrs Gabi Schneider and Mr Luca Demicheli). Over 70 participants took part in this meeting.

On the 8th and 9th February 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa, EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and The Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) will hold a joint Workshop to present and discuss the final draft of the feasibility study “Geoscientific Knowledge and Skills in African Geological Surveys (PanAfGeo)”. Key stakeholders such as UNECA, UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank and SEAMIC will also take part in the meeting. The study investigated how to increase African-owned geological knowledge and skills for sustainable mineral exploitation and related infrastructures, and natural disasters prevention and mitigation.

The Workshop also intends to discuss a possible future multiannual Project – including objectives, methods of implementation, trainings and partnerships – implementing the report’s recommendations.. The audience’s feedback is a priority to achieve this ambitious goal, a cooperation that will strengthen the geological sector in Africa, and will therefore represent a step forward in the political commitment to the development of EU-Africa cooperation in this area.

The Workshop will precede the Conference Mining Indaba, foremost global gathering on investing in the African mining value chain, scheduled from the 9th to the 12th February 2015 in Cape Town.

The EuroGeoSurveys Director’s Workshop will take place on 25th March 2015 in Brussels. The yearly meeting of the Directors of the European Geological Surveys and Geological Surveys from all around the world was will focus on the theme “Geological Infrastructure priorities in Africa and beyond”, discussing the geological infrastructure needs in Africa and in other areas of the world. The Workshop topic will match the High level Conference ‘EU-AU Joint Session on Infrastructures for the Minerals Sector’ of the previous week, focusing on the infrastructure needs of the minerals sector in Africa (including transport, ICT, water and energy as well as all other types of infrastructure).

Investing in African Mining Indaba™ is an annual professional conference dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining interests in Africa. It is currently the world’s largest mining investment event and Africa’s largest mining event.
https://www.miningindaba.com/

The expanding role of geoscience in society, the safe-guards it provides with respect to multiple forms of geohazard, its contributions to fundamental research and the importance of its practitioners as the custodians of the Earth’s natural resources, is clearly evident in the scope of the presentations we will be listening to and viewing at the 35th International Geological Congress. There is no doubt that the 35th IGC will be hugely topical and scientifically stimulating, and we look forward to welcoming you all to Cape Town in August.

Investing in African Mining Indaba is solely dedicated to the successful capitalisation and development of mining interests in Africa. Located in Cape Town, South Africa for over 20 years, this event unites investors, mining companies, governments and other stakeholders from around the world to learn and network, all toward the single goal of advancing mining on the continent. Also known as Mining Indaba, we are dedicated to supporting education, career development, sustainable development, and other important causes in Africa.

DATE AND TIME
Fri, March 31, 2017
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

LOCATION
External Cooperation InfoPoint
Rue de la Loi 43-45
1049 Brussels

The conference will be held at the European Commission’s DG DEVCO External Cooperation INFOPOINT (43 Rue de la Loi – 1040, Brussels), from 12.30 to 14.00 o’clock.

Kindly note that the conference will also be live-streamed on www.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/infopoint

The "External Cooperation" Info Point acts as the interface between citizens and the various services of the Commission dealing with external relations, a space devoted to dialogue and the exchange of ideas

The Kick-off and Progress meeting of PanAfGeo will be held on 11-12 May 2017 in Windhoek, Namibia.