African Minerals wins UN-designated International Year of Planet Earth Award 2009

African Minerals Limited (AIM:AMI), the mineral exploration and development company with significant iron ore and base metal interests in Sierra Leone, West Africa,  has been awarded the prestigious International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) Award 2009 recognised by the United Nations. 

African Minerals’  Tonkolili Iron Ore and Infrastructure Project was awarded “Most Effective Corporate Social Responsibility Project” on Friday 20^th November 2009 at the Planet Earth Lisbon Event in Portugal.

The IYPE Awards were initiated in order to mark innovation, beneficial excellence and significant achievement by corporations and government departments in the areas of environmental enhancement and sustainability of the Earth’s resources, during the UNITED NATIONS-designated International Year of Planet Earth.

The awards are granted by a select panel of judges. The judges make a careful assessment on the basis of “innovation, beneficial excellence and significant achievement in the areas of environmental enhancement and sustainability of the Earth’s resources”. The extent of the benefit to local communities of these programmes was also a key consideration when assessing these activities for a possible IYPE Award. 

The award recognised that, as a socially responsible organization and one of the largest employers in Sierra Leone, African Minerals Limited is continually implementing social development programs within Sierra Leone to support deprived communities in its operational areas and to supplement government initiatives across the country. These programs are undertaken to assist the Sierra Leone government’s drive to reduce poverty and provide improved health care, education, infrastructure, sports and local government development and include: 

• The provision of safe drinking water in some of the company’s operational areas.
• Construction and maintenance of roads and bridges for communities.
• Support to sporting activities both at community and national levels.
• Various forms of support to the educational sector in Sierra Leone.
• Contribution to the development of social infrastructure in Marampa Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
• Support to Local Government in the Port Loko District Council.
• Support to the Rural Transport Sector in the Kalasongoia, Kafe Samiria & Samiaia Bendugu Chiefdoms.

His Excellency the President of Sierra Leone, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, noted that:

“African Minerals has demonstrated the potential to become a valued partner of Government in the pursuit of the goal of making life better for our people through the variety of activities it has undertaken since the company began operations in the country ….”

The IYPE Awards are seen as a culmination three years’ of local and international cooperation, in which governments, industries, corporations, and smaller business and individuals have cooperated not only to raise awareness of the challenges facing our environment but also to act in innovative ways to achieve positive change. The African Minerals’ Tonkolili Project provides a positive example how that may best be accomplished.

Collecting the award on behalf of African Minerals, Chairman Frank Timis commented

“We are honoured to be awarded such a prestigious and esteemed award. We believe this recognises the hard work contributed by all the employees of African Minerals and demonstrates our commitment to supporting local communities in Sierra Leone via innovative social development and environmental projects. African Minerals constantly strives to be a leader in the field of social development and this award is a celebration of our accomplishments.”

Enquiries:

 African Minerals Limited	Tel: +44 (0) 1481 726833
Frank Timis Alan Watling	Â
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Canaccord Adams Limited	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7050 6500
Mike Jones Robert Finlay	Â
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Mirabaud Securities Limited	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7878 3360
Rory Scott Pav Sanghara	Â
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Pelham Public Relations Limited	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7337 1500
Charles Vivian	Â
Klara KaczmarekÂ	Â

The UN-declared International Year of Planet Earth, which has been active over a triennium (2001-2009), was co-founded by the International Union of Geological Sciences and UNESCO. The event aims to bring countries together to focus collaboratively on the Earth sciences. The IYPE aims to ensure greater use of the knowledge accumulated by the world’s 400,000+ Earth scientists. The Year’s ultimate goal is to help build safer, healthier, and wealthier societies around the globe. The IYPE’s aim is to increase public awareness of the vast, but still underutilised (by public policy decision makers at all levels) potential of the geosciences, and to contribute further to making the planet and global society safer, healthier, more prosperous and sustainable. 

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