Creation of the AMLA platform, a free online one-stop resource for Africa's mining legal framework (mining codes, regulations and related legislation) with interactive features to provide comparative data;
Production of the AMLA guiding template, an annotated document that outlines a menu of legislative solutions to assist countries in the preparation or revision of their mining laws; and
Capacity building through training (on-ground and remotely) of African legal professionals a) in the use of the platform and b) on overall issues in mining law.
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Promoting transparency, accessibility and comparison of Africa’s mining laws;
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Facilitating the preparation, revision and implementation of mining laws;
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Providing a living database that will catalyze research and policy debates on legal and regulatory issues; and
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Promoting the development of local legal expertise on mining laws.
Initiated by the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency in 2013, the AMLA project is being implemented in partnership with the African Legal Support Facility of the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission, in coordination with several African Universities. At the beginning of 2017, the operational knowledge – relating to maintenance of the AMLA platform, as well as the coordination of the AMLA training program – was transferred from the World Bank to an AMLA Secretariat with a department dedicated to this aspect, within the ALSF. Furthermore, it was resolved that a Project Implementing Consortium (PIC) would be established and will be comprised of reputable international and regional institutions knowledgeable on sector specific issues. Overall steering, guidance and support will be provided by the Project Facilitation Committee (FC) which is composed of the ALSF, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the WBG.
We Are /
The AMLA platform is a free online one-stop resource for African mining legislation that provides the public with all 53 existing mining codes of the continent in an easily readable and searchable format. An upgrade of this platform is underway featuring: (i) amendments to the mining codes, mining regulations and related legislation, (ii) a country by country specific provision comparison tool, and (iii) interconnectivity with resourcecontracts.org, an initiative that maintains a repository of mining contracts.
To develop specialized expertise on the continent, the project has established the Legal Research Team (LRT). The LRT is made up of advanced law students selected from various African universities, representing all five regions of the continent. The role of the LRT is to populate the AMLA platform by locating mining and related legislation, and conducting comparative research on specific topics across different countries’ mining legislation, under the guidance of the quality review team comprised of senior specialists in the sector.
The AMLA Guiding Template is a mining law drafting and reference tool that provides guidance on the potential elements of a mining law in Africa’s current realities. It covers over 200 topics, each of which clearly described, followed by legislative sample provisions, each of which accompanied by an annotation explaining the context, issues, and useful features of the presented language. Most of the examples are drawn or inspired by current mining laws within Africa and where such examples do not exist are sourced from mining laws outside of Africa or drafted de novo. The Guiding Template aims to be responsive rather prescriptive, in order to provide a resource that is sensitive to the distinct character of each African country, its existing legal framework and the specific context in which each mining sector is situated. The tool was developed in collaboration with a Review Committee, made up of law firms, international organizations and multi-lateral institutions.