Under the slogan “Mining of the future: innovating, including, influencing”, the international Conference on Social Responsibility in Mining – Srmining 2015- included the participation of more than 170 delegates that attended to more than 43 presentations which were carried out from 4-6 November in the Enjoy Hotel of Antofagasta.
The technical coordinator of Srmining 2015, Cristian Parra, Director and Co-Founder of Analysis for Development Group in Australia, highlighted that one of the main aspects that made the difference with regard to the technical program in comparison to similar international conferences, was the participation of representatives from different fields such as academia, communities, government, and the mining industry itself. Thus, for example, the talk “Building Networks for Local Development: The Case of Sanitary Improvement Project in the Town of Michilla” was given by the Mayor of the Municipality of Mejillones in Chile, Marcelino Carvajal, and Cristian Puga, the Head of External Affairs and Sustainability, Minera Centinela.
The Vice-president of Sonami and CEO, Antofagasta Minerals PLC, Diego Hernández, emphasized that these types of conferences are important so that the industry can come together and discuss issues that are of interest to them. “The program held by Gecamin was well distributed, with different topics, although confined, they all are very important for the industry and not only with a short term outlook but also with a long term view”. According to Diego, this was an opportunity to know the experiences of different cases on an international level, which is “very enriching, and it helps us to know what is happening in other places”.
The president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Sergio Muñoz, attended the Opening Ceremony as a special guest and in his speech he pointed out the necessity of business development in the entrepreneurial activity in which ”the rights of people who are trying to receive benefits, are sacrificed as little as possible”.
The President of Srmining, Francisco Veloso, who is also the Vice-president of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of Antofagasta Minerals and President of Minera Los Pelambres in Chile, stated that it was “very interesting to have the opportunity to bring the President of The Supreme Court. It has been an important milestone, because it is not easy or frequent that a President of the Supreme Court participates in events of this nature”.
Apart from Veloso, the Executive Committee of Srmining 2015 was also composed of Deanna Kemp, event Co-Chair and Deputy Director at the Centre of Social Responsibility in Mining of the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) of University of Queensland.
More information: gecamin.com/srmining
