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| Secretaría de Minería | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Secretaría de Minería |
| Native name | Secretaría de Minería |
| Formed | 2004 |
| Jurisdiction | Argentina |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires |
| Minister | Minister of Economy (reports) |
| Parent agency | Presidency of Argentina |
Secretaría de Minería The Secretaría de Minería is the national agency responsible for mining policy in Argentina, coordinating with provincial authorities, state enterprises, and international bodies to manage mineral resources, promote investment, and oversee regulation. It interfaces with ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Economy (Argentina), Secretaría de Energía (Argentina), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial, and provincial mining directorates in Salta Province, Jujuy Province, Catamarca Province and San Juan Province. The office engages with multinational corporations, domestic companies, research institutes, and multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund on projects and reforms.
The agency traces origins to earlier bodies such as the Dirección Nacional de Minería and policies from administrations including Carlos Menem, Néstor Kirchner, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, reflecting shifts after privatization and re-nationalization debates involving actors like YPF and Minera Alumbrera. In the 2000s the Secretariat was formalized under presidents Néstor Kirchner and Carlos Becerra-era reforms, responding to trends in global commodities prices driven by demand from China and investors such as Goldman Sachs and Glencore. Institutional changes paralleled legal instruments like the Ley de Inversiones Mineras discussions and provincial autonomy affirmed by precedents in Argentine Constitution of 1853 interpretations and rulings by the Supreme Court of Argentina. International events such as the 2008 global financial crisis and the Paris Agreement shaped mining strategy, while incidents at mines like Minera Alumbrera and operations by Barrick Gold influenced public debate and environmental regulation.
The Secretariat comprises directorates and units coordinating policy, exploration, promotion, and environmental oversight, aligning with agencies such as the Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable and research organizations like the CONICET and Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Its organizational chart includes departments for mining promotion, geological services tied to the Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR), legal affairs liaising with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Argentina), and international relations coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Argentina). Provincial liaison offices work with bodies in Río Negro Province, Neuquén Province, La Rioja Province, and Mendoza Province, and it interacts with state-owned enterprises such as Yacimiento Río Turbio and private firms including Pan American Silver and Newmont Corporation.
The Secretariat is charged with promoting exploration and investment, compiling geological data via SEGEMAR, developing mining cadastres, and formulating policies in concert with provincial secretariats and agencies like the Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos on fiscal regimes. It issues guidance on environmental safeguards coordinated with the Administración de Parques Nacionales where projects affect protected areas and advises on social license issues involving unions such as the Unión Obrera Metalúrgica and community groups including indigenous organizations represented via institutions like the Instituto Nacional de Asuntos Indígenas. It also supports innovation partnerships with entities like the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial and funding programs with the Banco Nación and international financiers.
Notable initiatives include promotion campaigns for lithium exploration in the Lithium Triangle encompassing Jujuy Province, Salta Province, and Catamarca Province involving companies like Livent Corporation and Ganfeng Lithium, development of copper-gold projects in San Juan Province and La Rioja Province associated with investors such as Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti, and rehabilitation projects at coal sites like Río Turbio with technical cooperation by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Other projects include artisanal and small-scale mining formalization programs in partnership with the International Labour Organization and geoscientific mapping campaigns led by SEGEMAR and academic partners at the National University of Salta and National University of Jujuy.
Regulation rests on national statutes and provincial codes, with interaction among the Ministry of Economy (Argentina), the National Congress of Argentina for legislation, and judicial oversight by the Supreme Court of Argentina. Environmental permitting intersects with laws administered by the Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable and provincial environmental agencies, while concessions and royalties involve fiscal discussions with the Ministerio de Hacienda and tax authority AFIP. Policy debates reference international standards such as those from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and guidelines from the International Finance Corporation on environmental and social performance.
The Secretariat engages bilaterally and multilaterally with nations including China, Chile, United States, Canada, and Germany and with organizations like the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, European Union, and United Nations Development Programme on financing, technical assistance, and regulatory harmonization. Cooperation includes cross-border initiatives with Chile on Andean geoscience, lithium diplomacy within the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, and investment promotion in forums such as the Mining Investment Latin America conference.
Funding sources include allocations from the national budget approved by the National Congress of Argentina, fees and royalties coordinated with provincial treasuries, and project financing from development banks such as the Inter-American Development Bank and private investors including BlackRock and commodity traders like Trafigura. Budgetary oversight involves the Ministry of Economy (Argentina) and auditing bodies such as the Auditoría General de la Nación.
The Secretariat has faced criticism related to environmental impacts highlighted in conflicts at sites involving Minera Alumbrera, disputes over lithium contracts with firms such as Ganfeng Lithium and Livent Corporation, and social conflicts in provinces like Jujuy and Catamarca involving indigenous communities and unions like the Confederación General del Trabajo. Controversies include debates over fiscal royalty levels discussed in the National Congress of Argentina, allegations of inadequate environmental oversight raised by NGOs including Greenpeace and Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and legal challenges adjudicated in provincial courts and at the Supreme Court of Argentina.
Category:Government agencies of Argentina Category:Mining in Argentina