Ways of accelerating Moroccan-Mauritanian cooperation in electricity and renewable energies were at the center of talks held Monday in Nouakchott between Moroccan minister of Energy Transition Leila Benali and Mauritanian Minister of Energy Mohamed Ould Khaled.
The talks,held on the sideline of 7th Mauritanian Energy & Mining Conference & Exhibition (Mauritanides),were an opportunity to highlight the major strides accomplished in cooperation between the two countries ministries,public & private sectors seeking to enhance energy security for both countries.
The two officials hailed the joint steps made in the field of energy,reflecting a shared vision in sustainable development to serve the interests of the two countries and Africa in accordance with the directives and ambitions of King Mohammed VI and President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
Ms. Benali,who is leading a large delegation to the 7th “Mauritanides”,called in an address before the conference Monday for an African framework in the mining sector that integrates environmental,social,and governance (ESG) dimensions.
“Our ambition is to adopt,at the next African Congress in Marrakech (scheduled for end of November,) an ESG framework adapted and designed by African mining ministers for Africa,” the minister stated in the address read out on her behalf during a ministerial session organized as part of the ”Mauritanides”.
This framework will enable governments and mining operators in Africa to finance extraction,transit,and processing operations and to value Africa’s natural capital at its fair value for the development of African peoples and territories,she noted.
Existing frameworks,inspired by financial practices in other regions or sectors,are not suited to the realities of Africa,the minister said.
She also noted that the meetings of the International Mining Congress Morocco (IMC Morocco 2024),held last December in Marrakech,had resulted in a consensus among African ministers on the need for an ESG framework as a prerequisite for the financing and sustainable development of mineral resources.
Benali reviewed the strengths of the Moroccan model in this area,citing the launch of the OTC (Origination,Transit,Certification) corridor initiative,supported by an ESG framework and approved by African mining ministers,to address the challenges associated with the extraction and processing of rare minerals on the continent.
She also highlighted the Kingdom’s collaboration with several organizations,in particular the African Mining Development Center (AMDC),to harmonize mining policies and traceability in supply chains.
The three-day international conference,which opened Monday in Nouakchott under the theme “Securing tomorrow’s energy through the development of strategic minerals and gas and energy projects,” is bringing together major mining,hydrocarbons & renewables leaders,investors,industry professionals,equipment producers,banks and service companies.
According to the organizers,this conference represents an opportunity for investors to explore ongoing projects,forge partnerships in the fields of minerals and clean energy,and learn more about Mauritania’s investment environment,mineral resources,and energy strategy.
The program for the economic event features presentations,conferences,and scientific workshops,as well as exhibitions showcasing the latest technologies in the mining and energy sectors.
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