AMDC Sensitizes Southern Africa Stakeholders on AMREC-PARC Implementation

The Southern Africa Regional AMREC/PARC Implementation and Public Sensitisation Workshop was held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 17 to 19 June 2025, to roll out the AMREC-PARC system, aimed at harmonising mineral resource management and investment across Africa in alignment with the African Mining Vision (AMV).

Established in 2013, the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) was created to support the implementation and coordination of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), which was adopted by African Heads of State and Government in 2009. The AMV sets out a long-term vision for “transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development.”

A central component of the AMV Action Plan is the enhancement of geological and mineral information systems to attract investment in exploration and mining development. At its core, the AMV promotes the harmonization of strategies, policies, legal instruments, and practices to enable greater participation of African countries in regional and global value chains.

AMREC-PARC: Critical Tools for AMV’s Implementation

The Pan-African Resource Reporting Code (PARC) is a tailor-made public reporting standard for minerals and energy resources, while the African Mineral and Energy Resources Classification and Management System (AMREC) is a broader framework that includes PARC and aims to guide the sustainable management of Africa’s mineral and energy resources. Following the completion of the PARC in 2023, AMREC and PARC entered implementation stage with stakeholders’ sensitization workshops held across Africa’s five regions.

As a critical instrument for implementing AMV, AMREC addresses Africa’s unique mineral resource governance challenges. It aims to standardize resource estimation and classification across the continent, fostering transparency and consistency. By introducing a harmonised system for stock exchange and financial reporting, AMREC is poised to transform Africa’s mining landscape, attracting responsible investment and enabling African countries to integrate more effectively into regional and global mineral value chains.

The AMREC-PARC was formally adopted for continental implementation by the AU’s Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Trade, Industry and Minerals in September 2021. This landmark decision was further endorsed by the Fortieth Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council on 3 February 2022. The adoption process culminated in final approval by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government on 4 February 2022, signifying full continental consensus and commitment to harmonised mineral resource governance across Africa.

Developed by African experts to address the continent’s unique needs, AMREC-PARC offers a coherent, consistent framework that follows the entire mineral resource lifecycle. From in-ground exploration and classification, through mining, processing, and value addition, to trade, usage, and even the reuse and recycling of tailings, residues, and waste, AMREC-PARC enables seamless and sustainable mineral resource management. It supports sustainable and seamless resource governance and aligns with AU’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting Africa’s long-term socio-economic transformation.

The first regional public sensitisation workshop on AMREC-PARC was held in Kampala, Uganda (3–5 April 2024) for East Africa, followed by the West-Central Africa session in Dakar, Senegal (29–31 October 2024). Building on this momentum, the Southern Africa Regional AMREC-PARC Implementation and Public Sensitisation Workshop was convened in Lusaka, Zambia, from 17–19 June 2025. The workshop aimed to sensitise Southern African actors across the mineral value chain on the AMREC-PARC system, positioning it as a critical tool for realising the AMV.

The three-day workshop promoted the progressive rollout of the AMREC-PARC system across Africa, showcased case studies, introduced stakeholders to data collection templates and system usage, and sought broader regional support in Southern Africa. It also advanced discussions on forming a PARC assessment committee to define certification standards for competent persons and training requirements.

“AMREC Tailored to Solve Africa’s Minerals Development Challenges” – AMDC Director

In her opening remarks at the workshop, Mrs. Ron Osman Omar, Director of the Industry, Minerals, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism (IMET) Directorate at the AU Commission and Interim Director of AMDC, emphasized that AMREC will harmonize resource estimation and classification across Africa. She noted that the system offers a transformative unified stock exchange and financial reporting code, designed to attract responsible investments and strengthen Africa’s integration into regional and global mineral value chains.

“The PARC is the complementary tool, which will facilitate transparent reporting of mineral projects (estimates, potentially viable, and viable) and energy projects. PARC will be used continent-wide for the industrial mineral projects reporting of the total resource base of Africa to facilitate access to finance and attract the required capital investments. It is this transparent public reporting, which will build investor confidence and will lead to increased financial investment in the African mineral industry,” Mrs Osman said.

The Interim AMDC Director described the workshop as a key milestone in the continent’s collective efforts to enhance professionalism, accountability, and excellence in Africa’s minerals, energy, and mining sectors. She highlighted that the PARC component specifically addresses the implementation strategy for recognizing competent persons authorized to sign off on public reports—critical documents intended to build investor confidence and attract both domestic and foreign investments across Africa.

“Africa’s Minerals Must Support Sustainable, Inclusive Development” – Zambia’s Mines Minister

While declaring the workshop open, the Honourable Paul Chanda Kabuswe, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development of the Republic of Zambia, who spoke through Mr Gerald Mwila, Director of Geological Services, said the rising global demand for minerals—particularly those essential for the green energy transition—presents an opportunity for Africa as a whole and Southern Africa in particular, to rethink of best ways to govern and benefit from natural resources.

“The AMREC framework provides practical tools for improving regulatory oversight, environmental stewardship, and transparency across our mineral sectors. PARC strengthens the regional linkages that are essential for infrastructure development and trade, while the Global Mining Initiative promotes responsible and forward-looking mining practices aligned with global standards,” said Mr Mwila.

The Director said the Zambian Government is fully aligned with the goals of these initiatives by enacting the Geological and Minerals Development Act of 2025, alongside the establishment of the Mineral Regulation Commission under the Mineral Regulation Commission Act of 2024 to modernise and strengthen the legal and institutional architecture of Zambia’s mineral sector.

“These instruments aim to promote transparency, accountability, and investor confidence while safeguarding national interests and community rights. We are strengthening our policy and legal frameworks to promote local content, value addition, and responsible investment. We are also supporting the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining, as well as expanding geological knowledge. We are actively encouraging artisanal and small-scale miners to formalise their operations and participate meaningfully in the national economy.”

The AMDC will host and incubate the AMREC implementation project as one of its strategic work streams. AMREC is, from conception to execution, internationally acceptable through its alignment with the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC). Through AMREC, there will be facilitation of negotiation and implementation of reciprocal arrangements with other regions that have aligned their initiatives with UNFC to promote the progressive global integration of mineral resource reporting.