The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) will convene from 16-20 October in Geneva, Switzerland. Government delegates will meet at an intergovernmental workshop on 16 October, and the Forum’s 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place from 17-18 October. A technical workshop on the topic of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting will convene on 20 October.

The theme of the 2017 meeting is ‘Managing Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM)’. Country case studies and an overview of global and regional trends in ASM will be presented. Other topics that will be covered during the meeting are are: development minerals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and mining; government guidance for mine closure; government initiatives for biodiversity management; and voluntary sustainability initiatives.

The IGF was an outcome of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It currently has 58 member countries. The Forum’s purpose is to improve resource governance and develop the role of mining as a driver of sustainable development, through limiting the negative impacts of mining and sharing its financial benefits. The IGF supports its members through conducting in-country assessments and providing capacity building and technical assistance, and promoting good practice and stakeholder engagement.

IGF is funded by the Government of Canada. In 2015 the secretariat moved from Global Affairs Canada to the offices of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in Winnipeg, Canada. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) co-hosts the annual meetings of the IGF in Geneva. The World Bank, World Economic Forum (WEF), World Gold Council (WGC), International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) participate in IGF activities.