National Action Plan (NAP) workshop in Sierra Leone

March 11 2019 - March 22 2019 Freetown and Bo Sierra Leone

Project: Development of Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) and National Action Plan (NAP) for the Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Sierra Leone


Jointly organized by UNITAR and the Environment Protection Agency of Sierra Leone (EPA-SL), The NAP workshop aimed at:

  • Raising awareness on the NAP development and its expected implications
  • Identifying stakeholders' key concerns and interests 
  • Presenting the ASGM overview report 
  • Discussing mapping issues, priorities and perspectives to inform a nation vision for the ASGM sector
  • Collecting inputs for the NAP’s goals, mercury reduction targets and better mining practices
  • Collecting inputs for the NAP’s formalization strategy and selecting a pathway towards formalization

The targeted audience (photos below) was composed of :

  • ASGM actors: miners (diggers, processors, transporters, license holders), traders, dealers, goldsmiths and exporters
  • Authorities from ASGM communities and chiefdoms
  • Community and youth leaders
  • Relevant local NAGOs, local academia, industrial mining companies
  • Local banks