FORAM seeks to co-ordinate raw materials strategies

Europe – FORAM, a two-year project to advance the idea of a World Forum on Raw Materials, has been launched in Brussels during the first-ever Raw Materials Week organised by the European Commission. The intention is to open a discussion with a selected audience regarding the opportunities, needs and challenges in raw materials management on a global scale.

FORAM is claimed to be the largest global effort to date relating to raw materials strategy co-operation. Centred on an EU-based platform of international experts and stakeholders, its aim is to enhance international collaboration on raw materials policies in order to make related initiatives more effective.

Bas de Leeuw, managing director of the World Resources Forum, comments: ‘Key aspects of advancing the idea of a World Forum on Raw Materials include assessing its focus and its format. Will there be a need for just information gathering, or for a scientific platform? Should the platform offer policy dialogue, multi-stakeholder awareness raising and capacity building, or a mix of these? Should it be a network or become a formal institution?’

According to Luca Demicheli, secretary general of key partner EuroGeoSurveys, the project will contribute to consolidating efforts towards ‘a more joint and coherent approach’ to raw materials policies and investments worldwide. ‘The project will in particular seek to engage the participation of G20 member countries and other countries active in the mining and other raw materials sectors, so that experiences will be shared and understanding of all aspects of trade in raw materials will be increased,’ he explains.

The FORAM project is being led by the Swiss-based World Resources Forum Association and supported by 11 other bodies, including EuroGeoSurveys, the European Federation of Geologists, United Nations University and Leiden University in the Netherlands.

In addition, there are more than 20 international organisations involved as advisory board members and 40 third-party organisations.