Rómulo Mucho (far right), Dario Zegarra (second from the right), and their group from Peru accept the 27th WMC Handover at the 26th WMC in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo: IIMP)
During the 104th meeting of the International Organizing Committee of World Mining Congresses (IOC-WMC) on June 25, one day before the start of the 26th World Mining Congress held in Brisbane, Australia, Peru was ratified as the host of the 27th World Mining Congress (27th WMC) for 2026 in Lima. This important event will be organized by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP in Spanish) and will bring together senior executives from national and global mining companies, engineers, scientists and researchers who will address relevant topics such as critical minerals, environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, decarbonization, workforce and education of the future, geosciences and new mining discoveries, health, safety and welfare, new mining frontiers, metal processing and refining, social performance and governance, among others.
The objectives of the WMC include:
- Promoting and supporting scientific cooperation in the sustainable development of mineral and natural energy resources;
- Facilitating a global exchange of information on best practices and emerging technologies in mining science, technologies, economics, mining health and safety, social performance and environmental protection; and
- Bringing together extractive companies, technology providers, researchers and consultants, presenting a unique opportunity to network, meet, discuss new partnerships and relationships.
The request to host the next congress began under the presidency of the IIMP of Romulo Mucho at the IOC-WMC meeting in Montreal, Canada in 2013, during the 23rd World Mining Congress. Subsequently, the IIMP sent its representatives, to participate in successive meetings in different places in different continents. On this occasion, the Vice President and Director of the IIMP, Dario Zegarra and Romulo Mucho traveled to Brisbane, Australia to participate in the 104th meeting of the IOC-WMC and the 26th World Mining Congress to consolidate Peru’s candidacy to host the next world mining congress.
It is worth mentioning that Peru already organized the 8th World Mining Congress in Lima in 1974 under the leadership of Luis Briceño, who was also president of the IIMP at that time. So, this will be the second time that the WMC will be held in Peru in 65 years during 26 congresses held worldwide. The 8th World Mining Congress was the first held in Latin America. On that occasion, 2,400 delegates from 55 countries gathered to analyze and discuss a projection of global mining towards 2000.
The 27th World Mining Congress will be an excellent platform for updating, exchanging and technological outlooks of the supply and demand of metals, also called essential elements of modern life, which provide us with the most basic to the most sophisticated elements for our daily lives. In addition to the importance of certain metals in the transition to renewable energies as the only way to address climate change. As well as the innovation of products and services to make mining an eco-friendly, and sustainable industry.
Given the importance of the World Mining Congress, it will be important to start with a scientific and technological research campaign on the pending issues of our mining industry and globally, involving universities, companies and technological institutions, including governmental institutions. This is a challenge that Peruvians will face with great success.
