IGF Mining Policy Framework Assessment: Senegal

Mining is a central pillar of Senegal’s economy and is expected to play a significant role in the country’s continued social and economic development.

On the legislative and policy front, strides have been made in recent years to strengthen governance in the sector. In 2013 Senegal became a candidate country for the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), and will aim to become a fully compliant country by the end of 2016. The government is currently undertaking revisions of both its mining code and mining policy, with both expected to be adopted in early 2017. The government has developed and adopted a model mining convention to guide negotiations between the state and mining companies. In addition, efforts have been made to formalize the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Challenges remain, principal among them enforcement of existing laws and policies on the ground.

Using the IGF’s Mining Policy Framework (MPF) as a guide, this assessment report first presents the national development, mining and legal contexts, and then highlights the key strengths, weaknesses and gaps in Senegal’s mining policies and laws, across all six of the MPF’s thematic areas. The assessment was carried out in 2016 with the support of the Government of Canada.