In 1992 a committee was formed by GSSA, including GASA, in response to the Council of Mining and Metallurgical Institutions ('CMMI'), to compile the first South African Code for reporting mineral resource and mineral reserves. The final draft ('Draft 6') was presented in conjunction with the SAIMM for discussion at the 1994 CMMI Conference at Sun City and to the JSE Listing Committee. In 1994, the CMMI formed an ad-hoc International Definitions Group to create a set of international definitions for reporting mineral resources and mineral reserves with representatives from mining and metallurgical institutions from the United States ('SME'), Australia ('AuslMM'), Canada ('CIM'), the United Kingdom ('IMM') and South Africa ('SAIMM'). A breakthrough came in October 1997 when the CMMI International Definitions Group met in Denver, Colorado, and reached a provisional agreement (the Denver Accord) on definitions of mineral resources and mineral reserves. Dr Ferdi Camisani-Calzolari represented the newly formed SAMREC Committee in Denver. Concurrently, and since 1992, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) has been developing an international framework classification for mineral resources and mineral reserves. A joint meeting was held in Geneva on October 4 1998, between the CMMI International Definitions Group and the UN-ECE Task Force. The SAMREC Committee has represented the international reporting fraternity through the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) at the UN-ECE from 1998 to present day.

One of the requirements for Competent Persons is that they need to be registered with or be a member of one of a specified list of statutory or professional bodies (or RPOs). The following note is of specific interest for members of the GSSA and/or SAIMM who wish to use such membership to sign off on Public Documents (Competent/Qualified Persons Reports, Competent/Qualified Persons Valuation Reports, Annual Integrated Reports, etc).

Please note that this does not apply if you are also registered with one of the statutory bodies (SACNASP, ECSA or SAGC) or IMSSA and are using that registration.

No member of the GSSA or SAIMM may be signing off on a publicly released Competent Person Report or Competent Valuators Report using their GSSA/SAIMM membership as the accreditation body, without first going through the peer review process.

Since 2017, the by-laws of both the GSSA and SAIMM require peer review of Competent Persons/Valuators (who are using their GSSA/SAIMM membership as the accreditation body). This process is to be followed for each public, newly released Public Report.

Members of the GSSA or SAIMM, who wish to sign off on a specific public report must submit themselves to this peer review process. The purpose of the process is to confirm that a person wishing to sign off as a Competent/Qualified Person/Valuator satisfies all the requirements of a Competent/Qualified Person/Valuator, and that his/her professional status has been validated by his/her Professional Association – it does not imply competence or proficiency and the professional bodies do not take responsibility for the quality of reporting by such persons.