Background

The mining industry plays an important role in the economy of many ASEAN member states such as Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam. ASEAN, with more than 600 million consumers, has a large industry base that can offer vast opportunities in investment and trade in the region’s rich mineral resources. ASEAN’s Nay Pyi Taw Declaration from 2014 states that mineral development is pivotal in strengthening ASEAN unity and solidarity as well as ASEAN’s central role in maintaining and promoting economic integration in the region and thus strengthen the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration.

However, non-sustainable mining poses the risk of severe environmental pollution and negative social impacts among others. Sustainable development of the mining sector means that investments in minerals projects are financially profitable, technically appropriate, environmentally sound and socially responsible.

The Mine closure process is an integral part of any mineral project and includes decommissioning and rehabilitation activities. Mine closure can occur at any stage of mine cycle operations.

The closure activities should be completed in accordance with a mine closure plan approved by a qualified government organisation. Mine closure plans are an indispensable element of sustainable mining. The development and approval of mine closure plans are new in some ASEAN member states. Some countries have established detailed mine closure requirements and procedures already, some other countries currently have few or no applicable laws, regulations or standards.

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and Lao Department of Mines in Cooperation with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM) will conduct a workshop/training in Laos to provide an exchange of knowledge on mine closure legal framework in ASEAN member states. This workshop will be carried out in the framework of the Lao-German Development project “Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector”.

Objective of the Workshop

The Aim of the workshop is capacity building in mine closure legal framework of responsible government agencies from ASEAN member states. In order to understand how to achieve and manage sustainable mine closure, methods and tools shall be presented to the participants.  

The workshop provides:

• Exchange of knowledge and experience in the state management relating to mine closure and rehabilitation in ASEAN member states;
• Information about current legal legislative framework;
• Information about development of mine closure plans;
• International good practicable mine closure legal framework;
• Participation of stakeholder in development of mine closure plans;
• Financial assurance for mine closure and rehabilitation, and
• Relinquishment process