The Economic Commission for Africa on Friday officially handed over the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) to the African Union Commission (AUC) following its inception in 2012.

The AMDC was endorsed by the 2nd conference of African Ministers responsible for Minerals Resource Development in 2011 as an African Union flagship project whose main aim was to coordinate the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), which had been adopted in 2009 by Heads of State to ensure minerals contributed to the continent’s economic and structural transformation.

ECA Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, speaking at the handover ceremony, thanked the AUC ‘for trusting and believing in our ability to host and incubate the AMDC for the last six and half years’.

“It is with great pride that we are gathered here to celebrate having a viable AMDC, which is now transitioning into an AU Specialized Agency. This handover is therefore an important milestone. It underscores the concrete programmes, partnerships and prospects that demonstrate AMDC’s role as facilitator of choice, for African countries and their global partners seeking to realize AMV aspirations,” she said.

Ms. Songwe said going forward, continued collaboration among AMDC’s partners and stakeholders remained vital. She said the ECA remained committed to supporting the AMDC’s work.

For his part, the AUC Deputy Chairperson, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, applauded the ECA and partners, including the Canadian and Australian governments, for supporting and nurturing the AMDC to the level that enabled it to support member States.

“The AMDC has a footprint in more than 25 member States of the African Union. This is indeed a great achievement,” said Ambassador Quartey, adding enough resources had been mobilized to support the transition of the AMDC from ECA to the AUC.

The AMDC will be hosted at the AUC before moving to a host country.