VOA常速英语2008年-Rights Groups Press New Mining Code in West Afr

By Nancy Palus
Dakar
21 April 2008

Throughout West Africa gold, bauxite¹, uranium and other lucrative² minerals are being extracted from the land, but local communities benefit little or in many cases lose out. Human-rights and development experts at a recent meeting in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, say governments and mining companies share a responsibility to ensure that people are helped not harmed by mining. Nancy Palus reports from Dakar.

Citizens who live near mining sites participated in last week's meeting in Dakar - the first in a series of consultations³ on a new mining code for the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS.

ECOWAS led the April 17 to 19 meeting, in collaboration⁴ with Oxfam America. Eleven West and Central African countries were represented.

Joana Manu is a farmer who was once arrested for tilling a parcel of family land in western Ghana. A mining company said it owned the land.

"Farming is our only source of income. In our community our level of education is very low so we only rely on our farming. So when these mining companies come and then the government leases land for them it means we have to stop farming and if we stop farming activities how can we take care of our children and siblings⁵ and dependents? So I think there should be a law that protects our water bodies and there should be a law that the government should seek the consent of the community, of whether they like mining or they do not," said Manu.

After defending herself in court, Manu was eventually able to return to farming her land. But members of the Ghanaian delegation⁶ at the conference said that is not the case for many. Mining operations often displace families and hurt agricultural production.

Recent riots throughout West Africa over food price hikes have underscored the need to build up local production and safeguard rural communities' livelihoods⁸.

"There is a big competition between mining operations and other socio-economic activities particularly agricultural ones," said Mamadou Biteye, Oxfam America's regional director for West Africa.

He says both governments and mining companies must be accountable.

"Communities have the right to a harmonious⁹ and sustainable development, they have a right to a secure livelihood⁷, they have a right to a clean environment - all of that is the responsibility of the state but also of non-state actors, to protect and fulfill¹⁰ those rights," added Biteye.

Helene Cisse, a Dakar-based lawyer and a legal consultant¹¹ on the mining code, says meaningful partnership¹² among all concerned is the only way mining can be profitable in the long run.

"We need productive investment. But it must be for the sake of everybody, for the interest of everybody," said Cisse. "And this is the basic idea of this mining code, to convince the people that there is no durable¹³ development, human development, if there is no partnership."

Cisse says governments and civil society must put practical measures in place so the reality on the ground matches human-rights conventions that exist on paper.

"What is really urgently needed in Africa, especially in the zones where mining resources are exploited, is to effectively implement¹⁴ social, economic and cultural human rights of the local population and the workers, if you want peace and stability and justice in this space," continued Cisse. "So this is the gap between international norms in terms of human rights and the regression in terms of effective implementation¹⁵."

A number of further consultations are planned with the private sector¹⁶ and other groups during the coming months before the West Africa mining code is finalized¹⁷ and comes before member states for a vote.

1 bauxite   

n.铝土矿

参考例句：

• Aluminum is made from bauxite.铝是从铝土矿中提炼出的。
• The United States was vulnerable to shortages of chrome,bauxite,and platinum.美国的弱点是缺少铬、矾土和铂。

2 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

3 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

5 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

6 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

7 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

8 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

9 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

10 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

11 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

12 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

13 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

14 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

15 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

16 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

17 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》