Proceedings of the Special Symposium: Geology and Mineral Information System (GMIS) Strategy to Domesticate the Africa Mining Vision at a Country Level

The GMIS Strategy was proposed by the African Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) to facilitate the strengthening of the African production, management and dissemination of geological and mineral information (GMI) in connection with the implementation of the African Mining Vision (AMV) and the domestication of the Country Mining Vision (CMV). The Strategy sees geological and geospatial information as crucial for several important legal, economic, social and environmental applications in mining and broad development processes in Africa. It is planned to coordinate, set direction, create alignment, build commitment, promote collaboration, establish trust, mobilize supporters, and facilitate activities from different GMIS initiatives in the continent.

The GMIS coordination meeting as well as the special symposium were conducted during the 35th International Geological Congress (IGC35) held from 27 August to September 4, 2016 in Cape Town South Africa. The International Geological Congress (IGC), originally the International Congress of Geologists, was founded on August 25, 1876. The need of holding international congresses was increasingly felt among the community of geologists in Europe and North America as early as March 3,1874. Since then 34 Congresses which are visited by a large number of geologists from all continents were organized every 4 years based on a bidding process. Africa had a chance to organize the Congress for the first time in Algeria more than 50 years ago. It was in Oslo, Norway in 2008 that the South African bid won and started preparing the 35th International Geological Congress. Eventhough the meeting was held in Cape Town, South Africa, it was an African meeting which promoted the African diverse geology, society and cutlure. This was an opportunity for the African Minerals Development Center (AMDC) to be involved at this International Congress by organizing a symposium to present and discuss its GMIS Strategy. The activities that were undertaken by the AMDC during the Congress were related mostly to the implementation of the GMIS strategy. They include:

1. A Pre-IGC35 meeting of the GMIS Coordination Committee, as well as the Annual meeting of the Organiztion of Afrian Geological Surveys (OAGS)
2. Organization and convening of a Special Symposium: Geology and Mineral Information System (GMIS) strategy to domesticate the Africa Mining Vision at a country level; and
3. Organization of other meetings and participation in special sessions related to the implementation of the GMIS Strategy