India to join world body on Mining and Minerals

New Delhi, Feb 1 (UNI) To enhance the contribution of the mining and minerals sector for the development of the country, the union government today approved India's membership to the Canada based Inter-Governmental Forum on Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development.

India has been invited to join the forum as a member and the Secretariat functions of the Forum were presently being discharged by Canada.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said the forum provided for members to discuss ways and means to expand the benefits of sustainable development while responding to the challenges posed by mining.

''The government and the mining industry in India stand to gain from the benefits of consultations of sustainable development for effectively responding to the challenges posed by mining,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.

This Forum has evolved from a Global Dialogue process launched at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development co-sponsored by Canada and South Africa and hosted by UNCTAD.

Currently, the forum has 36 countries as its members which include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Russian federation, Senegal, South Africa, Surinam, Swaziland, United Kingdom and Zambia.

UNI