An introduction to artisanal and small- scale gold mining (ASGM) Usman Tariq Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP

An introduction to artisanal and small- scale gold mining (ASGM) Usman Tariq Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP

What is ASGM? World Health Organisation, March 2014 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) means gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production Minamata Convention 10-20 million miners in over 70 countries Up to 20% of all gold produced is from ASGM

Source: NRDC and

What is ASGM? ASGM is: ASGM can also be : A source of Informal, extralegal, employment to 10-20 or illegal million miners in over A source of social 70 countries problems: worldwide, especially Child labor and other in rural areas; labor issues A direct benefit to local Gender issues economy Land tenure issues A means of Migration and other transferring wealth to social instability people in poverty Conflict

What are the risks? Occupational hazards and child labor

What are the risks?

What are the risks? Environmental destruction and habitat loss

What are the risks? What are the Risks? Health risks local and global Artisanal gold council "Wash fish market" by Bien Stephenso

How and Why is Mercury Used? Cheap (relatively) Easily accessible Quick Easy to Use Independent

The Global Context 1600 tons mercury use per year :: Over 70 countries :: 10-20 million miners Image from mercurywatch.org

The Worst Practices Open Burning, Burning in Residential Areas Whole Ore Amalgamation Photo: Global Mercury Project Use of Cyanide after Mercury Photo: Cordy et al., Science of the Total Environment 410-411:dec 2011. Photo: Global Mercury Project

Source: NRDC and UNIDO What are the Solutions? Short- term: Reduce mercury use and emissions Avoid worst prac.ces and minimize mercury exposure and releases Long- term: Transi7on to mercury free techniques Gravity- only Processes Chemical Leaching Processes

What are the Solutions? Key Concept: Concentration Concentration of gold from ores reduces the amount of mercury needed; or allows a zero mercury technology to be employed such as direct smelting Good concentration requires good gold liberation (milling) followed by appropriate concentration technology Both require adequate capital often a function of community stability/legality Source: NRDC and UNIDO

What are the Solutions? Formalization integrating ASGM into the formal economy Certification creating standards with requirements for sound environmental, labor, formalization, traceability, and other practices

What are the Solutions? Public acceptance and support (social license) Improved technical knowledge Enabling policy framework Good social, health, and labor practices Profitable, efficient, sustainable mining that supports development Limited, controlled mercury supply Best env. practices Clear legal status and land tenure rights Market incentives and access to financial resources Source: NRDC and UNIDO

ASGM and the Minamata Convention on Mercury Each Party that has ASGM and processing subject to this Article within its territory shall take steps to reduce, and where feasible eliminate, the use of mercury and mercury compounds in, and the emissions and releases to the environment of mercury from, such mining and processing If at any time the Party determines that ASGM and processing in its territory is more than insignificant, it shall notify the Secretariat and: Develop and implement a national action plan (Annex C) Submit it to the Secretariat within 3 years Provide a review every three years of the progress made and include such reviews in its reports pursuant to Article 21

UNEP Global Mercury Partnership

Partnership s activities Strategic planning Philippines, Cambodia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Cote d Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria Field level work Peru, Ecuador, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d Ivoire, Senegal, Indonesia, Philippines

Resources ASGM in Indonesia. Photo by Usman Tariq

THANK YOU! Usman Tariq Programme Officer Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific United Nations Environment Programme Email: tariq@un.org

The Global Context

ASGM and Minamata Initial Assessments Review legal and regulatory framework for ASGM (e.g. legal status, licensing, responsible government departments) Initial inventory on mercury use in ASGM and conditions of use (e.g. problem regions, worst practices, availability of mercury) Challenges, gaps in information and capacity, needs Bonus 1: Head start on intra-agency collaboration Bonus 2 more than insignificant determination

ASGM National Action Plans National objectives & reduction targets List of worst practices to be eliminated Formalization or regulation of the sector Baseline estimates of the quantities of mercury used and the practices employed Schedule for implementation of the national action plan A series of strategies (e.g. reducing use and releases, managing trade, stakeholder involvement) Additional strategies to achieve its objectives may be included Note: Annex C explicitly calls for a public health strategy, which encompasses health surveillance, health care worker training and awareness raising.

National Action Plan Support and Guidance National action plan guidance called for in the Final Act of the Minamata Convention UNEP Global Mercury Partnership is developing guidance at the request of INC6 Development of ASGM national action plans supported by GEF, but only for countries who have signed and/or ratified, and notify the Secretariat that more than insignificant ASGM is occurring on their territory.

National Action Plan Support and Guidance Coordination Mechanism National Overview Objectives and Targets Formulation of Strategies Evaluation Mechanism Endorsement and Submission

Resources UNEP Global Mercury Partnership ASGM area led by Susan Keane (NRDC) and Ludovic Bernaudat (UNIDO) Tech Doc Mercurywatch.org UNEP Mercury Inventory Toolkit ASGM National Action Plan Guidance