The FORAM network grows: outcomes from EU-Latin America Dialogue on Raw Materials

On 8th and 9th May, 2017, the conference ‘EU-Latin America Dialogue on Raw Materials: consolidating the co-operation’ was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was attended by over 50 high-level delegates from Latin American countries, the European Commission, Geological Surveys, international organisations, and European projects.

It was the last of a series of conferences in the frame of the EU-Latin America Policy Dialogue on Raw Materials, after the ones held in Lima, Peru (2014), Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (2015) and Santiago, Chile (2016). The ‘Dialogue’, aiming at improving cooperation on raw materials between the European Union and Latin American countries, has focused on cooperation in investment, technology, research and innovation and exchange of good practices on good governance between the two sides of the Atlantic.

The Buenos Aires conference subject was on expanding the opportunities for multilateral investments through the new Mineral Development Network Platform; sharing tangible solutions for promptly meeting the increased standards for sustainable mining practices; highlighting the EU companies’ mining expertise and bolster business opportunities.

During the conference, participants shared mineral policies best practices.

The Secretary General of EuroGeoSurveys gave a speech on ‘Towards a World Forum on Raw Materials’, where he discussed the FORAM project, explaining how the project is organized and the future developments. In particular, he invited the participants not yet involved to become partners of the FORAM Stakeholders Network. The speech raised a big deal of attention, and the European Commission later sent to all participants the information for joining the Network.