A study of the harmonisation of national mining policies conducted by the United Nations Economic Council for Africa (UNECA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2009 concluded that “As large-scale mining activities increase, Malawi should benefit from a SADC-wide approach to sharing best practices, particularly in those areas in which it has no direct experience” (UNECA/SADC 2009: 17). Sharing best practice remains pertinent today as highlighted by key informants interviewed in this study from all stakeholder groups and given that Malawi is committed to the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and SADC Protocol on Mining and Harmonisation Framework. Beyond sharing best practice, regional harmonisation, integration and cooperation will improve the outcomes for Malawi's extractive industries through, as the AMV elucidates, “transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development”. The shape and direction of the relationships between SADC member states in and for the mining sector are already determined in the existing aforementioned agreed Vision, Protocol and Framework; however, the pace and extent of implementation is uneven across the region and it is important that implementation is reviewed in terms of progress, challenges and benefits, which is related to country context and variable geometry in the region.This country study was commissioned by the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa's project Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) under its project “Harmonisation of Mining, Policies, Legislations and Regulations in Southern Africa”. The overall goal of this project is to design a regional mining harmonisation framework to support the regional industrialisation policy, mineral ownership and regional development, which is line with the AMV.

Effective development of artisanal diamond mining communities must be based on a thorough understanding of the inherent complexities that characterise the sector. This research coordinated by the Egmont Institute and undertaken in support of the KPCS Working Group on Alluvial/Artisanal Producers (currently chaired by Angola), involved many of the leading thinkers in this field. It makes a significant contribution to our knowledge on the sector, laying the foundations for a concerted work programme. This study does not underestimate the challenges this sector poses. However, it emphasises the critical importance of this task because the integrity of the KPCS and all it stands for are dependent upon addressing the developmental dimensions of the diamond trade not just policing it.

This paper discusses implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) in Liberia. Liberia’s PRS articulates the government’s overall vision and major strategies for moving toward rapid, inclusive, and sustainable growth and development during the period 2008–11. This paper provides the context for the PRS by describing the conflict and economic collapse, the transition beyond conflict, and the initial progress achieved during the past two years. It stresses that Liberia must create much greater economic and political opportunities for all its citizens and ensure that growth and development are widely shared.

The Government of Sierra Leone’s new Medium-term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2019–2023 has been founded on a strong political commitment to deliver devel-opment results that would improve the welfare of Sierra Leone’s citizens. The plan charts a clear path towards 2023 en route to the goal of achieving middle-income status by 2039 through inclusive growth that is sustainable and leaves no one behind. For the next five years, the Free Quality School Education Programme is the government’s flagship programme to provide a solid base to enhance human capital development and to facilitate the transformation of the economy.

The Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development 2018 to 2023 (PAPD) is the second in the series of 5-year National Development Plans (NDP) anticipated under the Liberia Vision 2030 framework. It follows the Agenda for Transformation 2012-2017 (AfT). It is informed as well by lessons learned from the implementation of the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy 2007 (iPRS) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2008-2011). The fundamentals underpinning the PAPD are: i) Liberia is rich in human and natural resources; but ii) is deprived of development largely because its human capital lacks the knowledge to transform the natural resources into wealth—whether through farming, mining, fishing, or other productive ventures that require technology or financial investments. Consequently, Liberia is relatively rich in natural capital but relatively poor in relations to its peers in both human and produced capital. Moreover, because of a legacy of entrenched inequality in access to development opportunities, widespread infrastructure deficits and pervasive poverty have become the binding constraints to future growth and prosperity.