As part of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF), the fourth Ministerial Roundtable conference got underway in Riyadh on Tuesday, January 14. Government representatives from more than 140 nations were present, along with representatives from 50 international organizations and world mining executives.
With the theme “Year of Impact,” the three-day event seeks to further establish the FMF as a leading global forum for promoting cooperation and investment in the mining industry.
Held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, the high-profile, government-led main ministerial roundtable FMF meeting aims to strengthen international cooperation in the production of important minerals, which are vital for the world’s energy transition.
The roundtable discussion on Tuesday was effectively led by Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Republic of Sierra Leone’s Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security.
The former UNIDO specialist led talks that resulted in the creation of a cooperative international action on minerals centered on three main projects:
Strategic Framework for Critical Minerals: Creating a cooperative framework to utilize the mineral resources of the Super Region of Africa, West, and Central Asia.
Sustainability: establishing supply chain certification to increase transparency and create responsible supply priorities that represent local realities in supplier nations.
Centers of Excellence: Creating a network to promote investments, cultivate human resources, and quicken technical advancement in the Super Region and its supply nations.
The roundtable meeting gave ministers and high-ranking officials a forum to talk about sustainable development plans for the mining industry, with an emphasis on presenting mining as a driver of social and economic advancement.
In an interview, Dr. Yumkella informed this writer that each major industrial economy has a dedicated unit for strategic minerals, also referred to as crucial transition minerals.
“The rapid pace of the energy revolution and the exponential demand for electric vehicles over the next decade are making these minerals increasingly important,” he stated.
Dr. Yumkella also said that the discussion covered ways to deal with concerns like sustainability, traceability, and transparency that impact the mining industry in developing nations.
Julius Daniel Mattai, the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources for Sierra Leone, attended the FMF conference among fellow ministers from Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Brazil.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Ambassador Mohammed S. Barrie accompanied Hon. Dr. Alhaji Kandeh Yumkella on a working visit to the Sierra Leone Chancery in Riyadh. Since taking over on December 9, 2024, Ambassador Barrie has led a huge reconstruction effort at the chancery, which is situated on Al-Farouqi Street in Al-Maseef.
After the visit, Dr. Yumkella left to conduct Umrah in Makkah.
