AMSG – Africa Minerals Strategy Group

A Sustainable, Transparent and Secure Supply of Critical Minerals Driven by Africa

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Republic of South Sudan ratifies the AMSG Establishment Charter
AMSG Stands in Solidarity with Kenya on the Passing of Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga E.G.H
AMSG Secretary-General Officiates Closing of the Inaugural African Mining Week, Declares Dawn of a Continental Mining Legacy
AMSG Convenes High-Level Ministerial Roundtable at African Mining Week, Driving Unified Commitments on Exploration, Beneficiation, Finance, Digital Sovereignty and Tokenization
AMSG Secretary-General Opens Ministerial Forum at Inaugural African Mining Week in Cape Town
“Africa Will No Longer Wait for Permission to Rise”: From Harlem to the Motherland, AMSG Launches ‘Africans for Africa’ Movement – A Call to Destiny for Clean Water, Ethical Mining, and Pan-African Prosperity
“Without Africa’s Critical Minerals, the World Cannot Transition”: AMSG Convenes Second High-Level Roundtable during the 80th UN General Assembly
Islamic Republic of Mauritania signs and ratifies the AMSG Establishment Charter
AMSG Secretary-General Delivers Keynote in Mauritania

About AMSG

“Empowering Africa’s Future Through Cooperation in Critical Minerals Development”

The global economy is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the energy transition, digitalization, and defense technologies. This transformation is fueling an unprecedented surge in demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements essential to powering green technologies, digital innovation, and national security. By 2050, the demand for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel is expected to increase by as much as 75 times compared to 2020 levels. At the heart of this shift lies Africa, a continent endowed with a wealth of minerals that are vital to the global energy transition and technological progress.

Africa is home to an immense wealth of critical minerals vital for powering the world’s digitalisation and green energy future. As the global shift to renewable energy and digitalisation accelerates, the demand for minerals essential to clean technologies such as batteries and solar panels is surging. From lithium to cobalt, Africa’s vast, untapped mineral resources position the continent at the forefront of this global transformation.

However, the potential of Africa’s mineral wealth remains largely unrealized. Historically, Africa’s natural resources have been exported as raw materials, leaving the continent to miss out on crucial opportunities for job creation, industrialization, and economic development. The current mining model-focused on extraction and export-limits Africa’s potential. To truly benefit from its resources, the continent needs to invest in value addition and local beneficiation, ensuring the minerals are processed and refined within Africa, boosting economies and creating sustainable opportunities for its people.

Recognizing this urgent need, African Ministers of Minerals and Mining established the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) during the third Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 09, 2024. AMSG is dedicated to advancing Africa’s strategic interests in the minerals sector, fostering collaboration among African nations to ensure the continent plays a central role in the global energy transition.

AMSG is dedicated to ensuring Africa secures and maintains its rightful place in the global geopolitical mineral landscape. Through focusing on local beneficiation, transparent supply chains, policy alignment, access to finance, improving infrastructure, capacity building, technology advancement and enhancing governance structures, Africa can unlock its mineral potential, driving sustainable economic growth, job creation, and technological development.

Purpose and Mission

The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) is committed to facilitating international cooperation within the mining and minerals sector across Africa. Our primary mission is to facilitate International Cooperation for Critical Minerals Development in Africa.

Goal

The goal of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group is to promote exploration, extraction, production, local beneficiation (value addition) and commercialization to ensure a sustainable, transparent and secure supply of critical minerals, while protecting our environment and improving the quality of life of our population, to spur the socio-economic transformation and prosperity of Africa, and support the energy transition.

Objectives

1. Collaboration: Foster collaboration among member nations to collectively address the challenges and opportunities associated with critical minerals, including but not limited to sourcing, production, local beneficiation (value addition), supply chain security, technology innovation and common legal framework.

2. Resource Sharing: Facilitate the sharing of knowledge, data, technology, innovations and best practices related to the exploration and sustainable development of critical minerals resources.

3. Investment Opportunities: Identify and pursue joint investment opportunities in critical minerals geological studies, mapping, exploration, extraction, local beneficiation (value addition) and utilization, with a focus on mutually beneficial economic development.

4. Technological Advancement: Promote research and development initiatives and technology transfer aimed at enhancing the technological capabilities and environmental sustainability of critical minerals mining and beneficiation.

5. Capacity Building: Facilitate and support building capacity through setting up sub-regional centres of excellence to enable expansion of technology transfer, maximize the sharing of best practices, joint policy development and initiatives, and be a driver of economic development.

6. Strategic Partnerships: Foster the socio-economic development of Africa through the close collaboration and coordination with strategic partners like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to explore investment opportunities to contribute to the future economic development in the mining sector.

Membership

The Membership of Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) is made up of Member Nations and Observers.

Member Nations:

AMSG is made up of African nations. Membership is open to any sovereign African nation that shares the objectives and principles outlined in our Charter and expresses a commitment to actively contribute to the goals and activities of the AMSG. Our 19 founding members include Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda,  Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The countries of Central African Republic, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea, Namibia, Niger and Sudan have expresses interest to join and participate in AMSG activities.

Observer Status:

Observer status is extended to interested foreign nations like Saudi Arabia, intergovernmental organizations, international organizations, industry stakeholders, and strategic partners, who support our mission. They maybe invited to participate in AMSG meetings and activities but without voting rights.

Governance and Decision-making

1. Leadership: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall be led by a rotating chair, elected by member nations on an annual basis.

2. Decision-Making: Decisions within Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall be made by consensus among member nations. In the absence of consensus, decisions may be reached by a two-thirds majority vote.

3. Steering Committee: The AMSG shall be led by a Steering Committee composed of Ministers, Cabinet Secretaries or any other Government Representative (at a Ministerial Level) responsible for minerals and mining from member nations.

4. Technical Committee: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall have a Technical Committee to provide guidance and technical support to the Ministerial Steering Committee. The number and terms of reference for the Technical Committee shall be developed and ratified by the Steering Committee.

5. Secretariat: The AMSG shall have a Secretariat responsible for the day-to-day operations, implementation of the Steering Committee decisions, managing the collaboration and communication with key stakeholders and facilitating partnerships and investments between member nations and the strategic partners. The Secretariat shall be led by a Secretary General.

6. Advisory Committee: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall have an Advisory Committee composed of Africa regional and sub-regional Bodies and eminent African persons to harness their structures, programmes and wisdom in support of the cause and goals of Africa Minerals Strategy Group.

Meetings and Activities

1. Meetings: Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall convene regular meetings, either in person or virtually, to discuss progress, exchange information, and plan collaborative initiatives.

2. Activities: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group may establish working groups, task forces, committees or subcommittees to address specific areas of focus, such as research and development, local beneficiation (value addition), technological development, investment strategies, sustainability measures or any other activities that may be determined by the Steering Committee.

Funding and Resources

1. Funding: Member Nations shall contribute to the funding of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group’s activities in accordance with a budget and allocation mechanism to be agreed upon by member nations.

2. Resources: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group may seek external funding, grants, or partnerships to support its initiatives and projects. However, any external funding, grants or partnerships sought that in any way undermine the independence and objectives of AMSG shall be rejected.

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