Global Agenda Council on Mining & Metals 2011

The Mining & Metals industry has been crucial to the development and sustainability of the technology upon which society operates. It therefore touches the lives of people, communities, institutions and countries at many levels, scales and over long intervals.

The economic multipliers of the mining industry outstrip those of other primary industries. With mineral deposits largely depleted in developed countries, new mineral development increasingly occurs in developing countries where the industry plays a vital, pioneering role. The physical, social, transport and administrative infrastructure that follows new mining projects provides catalytic enabling environments for the establishment and development of other forms of primary economic activity. For areas affected by poverty and a high proportion of youth, the investment offers the ability to build sustainable institutional and economic capacity for ensuring their future.