National Mining Policy: Strategic Direction Toward Colombia's Sustainability and Prosperity

Abstract

Written by the National Director of Mines at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, this article presents a historical approach to the regulatory and institutional transformation of Colombian mining over the past decade, explaining the country's lag until the enactment of the Mining Code in 2001. The author describes the three fundamental pillars of the National Mining Policy: the State as facilitator, promoter, and regulator. The text explains in detail the Strategic Environmental Assessment methodology, applied in 31 of the country's 33 Mining Districts, and presents the Mining Districts management model as a territorial strategy.