In accordance with MISEREOR project policies and procedures, an external evaluation of the project is required over a period of at least two three-year projects, before a proposal for additional funding or the commitment of a successive project phase is taken into consideration.
The two three-year projects 2020-2023 and 2023-2026 have been developed in a context marked by the specificities of two provinces (Haut-Katanga and Lualaba) from the dismemberment of the former province of Great Katanga. These two new provinces, mainly mining, with accelerated urbanization, are sometimes attributed to the expansion of mining, particularly as a result of increased demand for global consumption of copper and cobalt.
Overall the context of two provinces is marked by the contrast between the abundance of mineral resources and the fact that the populations of two provinces live in indescribable poverty. The target populations of the project most affected are those living around the various industrial and artisanal mining sites in the two provinces indicated.
However, whether industrial or artisanal, the chain of extraction and supply of these copper and cobalt minerals presents problems in terms of due diligence: in particular, human rights conditions, negative environmental impacts, lack of local economic development, low wages, inadequate health and safety standards, and socio-community conflicts.
In addition to these elements mentioned, the activity of artisanal exploitation remains specifically confronted with the eternal difficulties, which affect not only the responsibility of the supply chain, but also and above all, which endanger its sustainability and the survival of these thousands of people who depend on it. These include:
- Inequitable ore purchase pricing based on incomprehensible and non-transparent procedures. This aggravates the poverty of artisanal farmers and makes their health, health and safety at work very precarious;
- The development of unfair practices of weight rigging, manipulation of the mineral content of well-planned hollowers by foreign buyers (the buying counters that provide to processing entities), unfortunately whitening the products, with the protection sometimes of certain political-administrative and security figures Congolese;
- The levying of illegal taxes and charges imposed by agents of some State services;
- Lack of artisanal exploitation areas (EAZs);
- The politicization and militarization of crafts.
These difficulties, leave to pass, multifaceted consequences, such as: the infinite social conflicts between artisanal diggers and industrial operators, due to the lack of EAAs; low access of children to school, health care and healthy eating, etc. These two three-year projects to be evaluated were considered as possible solutions to help improve the elements mentioned in this context summary.
Download the Terms of reference for the assessment here
