TWN-Africa Fosters Deeper Public Scrutiny of Mining Activities – Dr Graham.

Accra: Dr Yaw Graham, Coordinator of Third World Network (TWN)-Africa, an NGO, announced that the organisation and its partners have enhanced public scrutiny of mining activities in the country. He highlighted TWN-Africa's significant role in transforming public awareness and attitudes towards minerals and development issues in Ghana. This statement was made during a public lecture in Accra themed 'TWN-Africa at 30: Organising for Equitable and Transformative Policies.'According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Graham stressed TWN-Africa's influence in changing how Ghanaians evaluate the mining sector, moving beyond foreign direct investment and export revenues to a more detailed cost-benefit analysis. He noted that since the first wave of mining sector privatisation and the granting of concessions to transnational corporations, official narratives often highlighted economic benefits while neglecting social and environmental costs.Dr Graham highlighted the importance of TWN-Africa's partnerships in advancing adv ocacy efforts, citing their collaboration with the National Coalition of Mining, formed in 2001, as crucial in amplifying the voices of affected communities. Collaborations with organisations like WACAM and the Centre for Public Interest Law provided TWN-Africa with grassroots insights into the challenges faced by communities in mining-intensive regions such as the Wassa West District.Dr Graham reiterated TWN-Africa's mission to advance equitable and sustainable mining policies not only in Ghana but across Africa. He stated, "TWN-Africa's work has contributed to creating a framework for scrutinising the mining sector's impact while promoting accountability and inclusivity in resource governance."Dr Rose Mensah Kutin, Executive Director of ABANTU for Development, praised TWN-Africa for creating a platform to engage stakeholders in discussions on sustainable development. She noted that TWN-Africa has worked with small-scale miners to shape policies that enable them to negotiate better conditions of service .Mr Charles Abugre, Executive Director of International Development Economics Associates, lauded TWN-Africa's achievements in the mining sector and urged authorities to move away from relying on raw commodities for export by adding value to these resources. He expressed concern over the overreliance on food importation, describing it as 'suicide.'The TWN-Africa's 30th anniversary public lecture focused on the organisation's contributions over the past three decades to citizens' struggles for equitable and transformative policies, offering perspectives on current issues in Ghana's development and policy agenda. Established in 1994, TWN-Africa has contributed to organising marginalised groups to raise their interests in both local and international policy arenas.