Mining is going to be an important sector for many countries. It already is for many countries and many more in the African context.
On mining, or resource extraction more broadly, I think the case of South Sudan is quite illustrative of all of this. To make the best out of that, to ensure that benefits the societies in which that occurs, is going to require a lot of things. It's going to require a lot of foreign investment on the part of Canadian companies and other companies around the world—hopefully by the kinds of Canadian company, of which we have very many, that are responsible mining companies. They are companies that are socially and environmentally responsible, and responsible in their relationships with the governments themselves.
It will probably require more than that, and I think there is a role here for both civil society organizations—and not just ones like ours, but ones that also relate to private sector particularly or private sector associations or industry associations—and also for government to invest in those institutional capacities that are necessary for the better governance of that sector.
Many people will ask whether that is in the interest of Canadian companies. They're going to deal with partners that are going to ask more of them. There are going to be more stringent regulations in terms of what they might have to do in countries. It will involve all of those things. But I think Canadian companies have a vested interest in the better governance of the mining sector in the countries in which we operate, particularly in the context of global competition.
I think you'll find that Chinese companies don't really care about the kinds of things we care about around this table, and that Canadian firms are particularly able to adhere to, to advance.... I think Canadian firms in particular have that vested interest in better local governance, and that is something that is going to require contributions from the mining sector itself, government, and civil society as well.