The sixth Salon International des Mines (SIM) was held on January 26 under the theme “For a resilient mining sector in Senegal”. Featuring an introduction by Senegal’s Minister of Mines and Geology, Mr Oumar Sarr, the conference was attended by the country’s major mining companies.
Organized via video conference due to the health crisis, the biannual event featured discussions on the mining sector’s contribution to local development and environmental management.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Mines, Mr Oumar Sarr, highlighted the challenges of the mining sector and their catalyzing role under the government’s “Sénégal Emergent” plan. He also emphasized the importance of stepping up the mining companies’ commitments to enable the host communities’ sustainable economic development goals to be fulfilled.
As a socially responsible company and a dynamic player in the country’s industrial and mining development, GCO contributed to the discussions by sharing not only its vision, but also its best practices and the solutions used to optimize the socio-economic benefits for the communities.
- Dieng points to ongoing dialogue with the communities
Mr Daour Dieng, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Area Manager Communities of GCO, detailed the company’s approach and the principal mechanisms it employs to optimize the economic benefits of its mining operations for its host communities, in order to support local development.
This includes ongoing dialogue with its host communities, which has helped cultivate positive relations with the project’s stakeholders – including the local population – in an effort to maintain transparent governance of natural resources. The company also provides assistance to the local population in order to support the socio-economic development of its host communities.
The Director of Health, Safety & General Services, Mr Faustin Diatta, focused his presentation on the measures taken by GCO to foster social inclusion and women’s empowerment in the mining sector.
Mine 4.0
On the subject of environmental management, GCO shared its commitments to minimizing the negative impact of its industrial and mining activities through continual improvement, environmental conservation, and natural resource preservation, in line with current standards and the Group’s sustainable development policies. This strategic option has led GCO to seek ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system.
It has also developed a digital strategy and technological innovations that rely on the Group’s general digital transformation plan in order to increase our resilience and boost performance at all levels. This plan has been dubbed the “Mine and Plant 4.0” plan.
“GCO’s goal is to develop a digital mine and plant to support the optimization of its processes in real time and achieve perfect control over its environmental footprint, with tools such as embedded devices, automated data analysis, and artificial intelligence,” said Benoit Robitaille, CEO.
