Listed in alphabetical order by given name
ABIGAIL MWAILENGE
Project Manager, planetGOLD Zambia
Abigail Mwailenge is a Metallurgical Engineer, with a specialty in Geo-Metallurgy, currently serving as National Project Manager for the Artisanal Gold Council on the planetGOLD Zambia Project. She is a dynamic leader in Zambia’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector, known for her multidisciplinary expertise and advocacy for sustainable and responsible mining practices. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering, Master of Science Degrees in Project Management and Marketing Management with well over 13 Years experience in the Mining Sector and Development projects that have seen the evolution of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining practices. She plays a pivotal role in promoting mercury-free gold mining practices, empowering Artisanal and Small- Scale Gold Miners (ASGM) with capacity in responsible mineral supply chains and advocacy for inclusion of women in mining. Abigail envisions a future where mining can be self sustaining from grassroot level.
ABIGAIL OCATE
Environment and Development Specialist / Former Project Manager, planetGOLD Philippines
Abigail “Abi” Ocate is an environmental and development professional with over 15 years of experience in extractive industries governance, environmental management, and sustainable development. She served for more than six years as National Project Manager of planetGOLD Philippines, where she led efforts to advance responsible and mercury-free artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), including work on policy and regulatory reform, access to finance and markets, and multi-stakeholder engagement. Earlier in her career, Abi worked with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) at both the national and international levels and contributed to establishing and institutionalizing the EITI process in the Philippines. She currently provides technical support to the Asian Development Bank on its chemicals and waste portfolio. Abi holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science, specializing in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology.
ALAN MARTIN
Head of Responsible Sourcing Programme for precious metals, LBMA
Alan Martin is the head of LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme for precious metals, which is mandatory for all Good Delivery List Refiners. Prior to joining the LBMA, Alan spent over a decade carrying out investigative research into the intersection between natural resources, human rights and illicit financial flows. As the former research director at IMPACT, a leading Canadian-based organization, he has an intimate understanding of the challenges and vulnerabilities to responsible sourcing across the value chain. A journalist by training he spent over a decade working in journalism in Canada, the UK and various countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Born and raised in Southern Africa, he holds a Master’s degree in violence, conflict and development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.
ALTANBAGANA BAYARSAIKHAN
Task Manager, UNEP
Altanbagana Bayarsaikhan is Task Manager at UNEP, where he manages a portfolio of mining and environmental projects, including the planetGOLD Programme. He has more than 20 years of experience in mining governance, stakeholder engagement, and donor-funded programme management. Prior to joining UNEP, he served as Project Manager of planetGOLD Mongolia, leading initiatives on ASGM formalization, access to finance, and policy reform. Before that, he coordinated the Swiss-funded Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project in Mongolia, supporting sector formalization, responsible gold supply chains, and policy development. Throughout his career, he has worked with governments, development partners, financial institutions, and mining communities to advance responsible and sustainable mining practices.
AMADOU SANOUSSY DAFE
Artisanal Miner
Amadou Sanoussy Dafe is a Malian institutional leader and mining operator with extensive experience in mining sector governance, the structuring of professional organizations, the mobilization of artisanal gold mining stakeholders, and the representation of economic and social interests. Trained in electronics and computer science, Dafe has gradually shifted his career focus toward the management of mining companies, the coordination of professional networks, and public-private dialogue regarding the formalization of artisanal mining.
AMARA KEITA
National Coordinator, planetGOLD Mali Project
Amara Keita is an agricultural engineer with over 20 years of experience in managing projects related to rural development, climate resilience, local governance, and monitoring and evaluation. He is a recognized specialist known for his ability to coordinate multisectoral programmes, build the capacity of local stakeholders, and lead results-oriented monitoring systems. He operates effectively in complex environments and has extensive knowledge of several regions of Mali. His areas of expertise include the management of multisectoral projects in climate, agriculture, and governance; monitoring and evaluation and results-based management (RBM); decentralization and local capacity building; inter-institutional coordination and partnerships; gender mainstreaming and social inclusion; and participatory mapping and digital tools, including Kobo, Akvo, and GIS. Amara Keita currently serves as the National Coordinator for the planetGOLD Mali Project.
ANDREA RAVINES
Finance Specialist, Formerly with planetGOLD Peru Project
Andrea Ravines is a professional specialized in sustainable project management, with a solid trajectory in public sector institutions in Peru and international cooperation. Experience in developing green credit products and financial mechanisms for sustainable value chains in the agricultural, forestry, and artisanal-small mining sectors. Agronomist Engineer with a Master's degree in Biocommerce and Sustainable Development, with a high capacity to articulate synergies with public, private, and international stakeholders in favor of sustainable development. Personal motivation to improve the competitiveness of base-of-the-pyramid sectors, contributing to economic, environmental, and social development.
ANDRES APONTE
Policy Analyst, OECD
Andrés Aponte is a Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, where he focuses on due diligence and responsible mineral supply chains. His work includes collaborating with sustainability initiatives across the supply chain to assess their alignment with OECD standards and supporting the integration of the OECD due diligence framework into both existing and emerging regulations, including the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation. He also specializes in the responsible sourcing of gold, particularly from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Throughout his career, Andrés has worked across a range of actors within the gold supply chain, including cooperatives, exporters, refiners, sustainability initiatives, and non-governmental organizations. He has supported the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains and the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance. His field experience spans Central and West Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe. Andrés is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. He holds an MA in International Security from Sciences Po Paris, as well as an MA and a BA in Political Science from Los Andes University (Colombia).
BLESSING HUNGWE
Finance Specialist, Formerly with planetGOLD Peru Project
Blessing Hungwe is a successful small-scale miner, and her mining business interests and experience covers several minerals, gold, chrome, semi-precious, and precious stones. She rose from humble beginnings as an artisanal miner and reinvested her earnings to mechanise and expand her mining operations. Her strong leadership skills and passion for empowering women miners have resulted in her occupying various leadership position in women in mining associations and the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF). Blessing is a former vice president of ZMF, and founder and leader of the Women in Mining Association under the wings of the Ministry of Women, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises. She started as leader of the Guruve District Women in Mining Association and climbed the ladder to serve as the Mashonaland Central Province Women in Mining Association Chairperson and the Zimbabwe Women in Mining National Chairperson (2017- 2018). Blessing also served as SADC regional leader for the African Women in Mining Association (AWIMA). She has played a key role in the formation of the Zimbabwe Women in Mines and Mining Development Trust. With her leadership skills, she facilitated the formation of the Zimbabwe Women Miners Association (ZAWIMA). Currently, Blessing is a Regional Knowledge Exchange Coordinator for Anglophone Africa for the Delve Exchange programme on artisanal and small-scale mining.
CARMEN TEICHGRABER
Program Director, IMPACT
Carmen Teichgraber has worked as Program Director with IMPACT. She has worked in the ASM sector in Africa for the past eleven years and has an extensive background in international project management, partnership building, formalization, and capacity development. She has worked in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Mali, DRC, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Peru, the Caribbean, and Palestine for various NGOs including the Canadian Red Cross and Canadian Hunger Foundation, as well as for the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, Government of Canada. Carmen holds an M.A. from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs where her studies focused on international development.
CLAUDIA VEGA
Mercury Program Coordinator, Centro de Innovacion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA)
Dr. Claudia Vega is the Mercury Program Coordinator at the Centro de Innovacion Cientifica Amazonica - CINCIA, an independent non-profit research center in Peru that studies the impact of Artisanal Gold Mining (ASM) on ecosystems and communities in the Amazon Region. With over 15 years of experience, her research primarily investigates the impacts of mercury exposure on both human and environmental health in the Amazon region, spanning Brazil and Peru. She is the founding director of CINCIA’s two Mercury and Environmental Chemistry Laboratories in Puerto Maldondo and Iquitos — the first and only labs of its kind in the Peruvian Amazon. Dr. Vega has spearheaded numerous collaborative research initiatives involving indigenous populations in the Amazon, including the Yanomami in Brazil and the Machiguenga in Peru. In her efforts to facilitate the integration of scientific insights into public policies that mitigate mercury-related risks, her work involves strategic engagements with health workers at the field level, consultations with high level government officials, and serving as an advisor to the United Nations Environmental Program, the World Health Organization and the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. She holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, a Masters of Public Heath, and a Bachelors Degree in Veterinary Medicine with a focus on wildlife.
EBA JEAN PIERRE N'GUESSAN
Artisanal Miner
N'guessan Eba Jean Pierre is from Ahounienfoutou, in the sub-prefecture of N'Guessankro, Bongouanou department, Moronou region, in central-eastern Côte d'Ivoire. He is now Chairman of the Management Committee of N'ZI GOLD Ressources in Ahounienfoutou and a former student of the SODEMI Mining School of Assiè Kokoré in Bongouanou. His career in gold mining began between 2017 and 2018, following meetings with friends involved in illegal artisanal mining. Between 2020 and 2021, N'guessan Eba Jean Pierre joined the SODEMI Mining School Project in Assiè Kokoré. After several administrative procedures, he obtained a craft operating permit issued in his name in 2023 in Ahounienfoutou. Since then, he has been conducting exploitation activities with a team of about fifteen young people operating on the slopes of a hill in his locality.
EDUARD CORNEW
Co-founder and President, Mwamba Mining
Eduard Cornew is Co-founder and President of Mwamba Mining, a gold mining company based in Tanzania. Mwamba is dedicated to the development of gold mining assets, programs, and technologies that support the sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities (ASGM). Ed studied Economics and Human-Centered Design at Dartmouth College and spent two years as an Associate at Boston Consulting Group, where he specialized in technology strategy and investment due diligence.
EDWARD BICKHAM
Senior Adviser, World Gold Council
Edward Bickham is a Senior Adviser to the World Gold Council and leads its work on ASGM. He previously led the consultation processes for the development of the Conflict-Free Gold Standard and the Responsible Gold Mining Principles. He has been involved in the governance of several multi-stakeholder processes in the extractive sector including the EITI, the Cyanide Management Code and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. He is a former Global Head of External Affairs at diversified miner, Anglo American, responsible for corporate affairs, stakeholder engagement, government relations and political risk, human rights, anti-corruption and social performance. He is a former Special Adviser to the British Foreign and Home Secretaries and was involved in the launch of satellite television in the UK. He has a law degree from the University of Oxford.
EILYN VILLALOBOS RAMIREZ
Artisanal Miner
Eilyn Villalobos Ramírez is an artisanal miner in the area of the Juntas de Abangares. Her family has always been dedicated to mining, her grandfather and her father were among the first pioneers to work the mape in Abangares. By the year 2000, the miners had organized themselves in a Specific Development Association to request the government authorities to hand over the mine to them legally, She joined the association in 2009 and in 2026, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles delivered the first mining concession under Law 8904 (Special Law for ASM)
EL'YUSUF PAIKO MUHAMMAD
Artisanal Miner
El’yusuf Paiko Muhammad is a Nigerian public administrator, ICT professional, and mining sector practitioner with a strong passion for nature and solid minerals development. For the past 10 years, he has focused on organizing artisanal gold miners into cooperatives and small-scale mining groups through Paiko Miners Cooperative Society Limited, helping bridge the gap between informal artisanal miners and formal, organized mining operations while promoting structured growth, and responsible gold marketing. He is the President of PAIKO MINERS COOPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED, in Nigeria, where he lives and do most of his mining activities.
ELIZABETH HUANCA COILA
Specialist in Illegal Mining and Social Participation, General Secretariat of the Andean Community
Elizabeth Huanca Coila is a PhD candidate and holds a Master's degree in Public Management and Public Policy, with specialized studies in international relations, development, environmental impact, and related fields. She currently serves as a Specialist in Illegal Mining and Social Participation at the General Secretariat of the Andean Community, where she provides technical assistance to Member Countries in implementing the Andean Policy to Combat Illegal Mining and strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms for responsible and sustainable mining. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in territorial management, environment, natural resources, governance, interculturality, and sustainable development, with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and social participation. She has led and supported dialogue processes, public policy formulation, institutional strengthening, and international cooperation initiatives related to mining, territorial development, and environmental sustainability. In addition, Elizabeth Huanca Coila has conducted research and postgraduate teaching activities in strategic and territorial planning, public management, and sustainable development.
EMILIAN MANISHIMWE
Project Manager, planetGOLD Uganda
Elizabe Emilian Manishimwe is a development and program management professional with extensive experience in international development, humanitarian programming, civil society engagement and natural resource governance. He currently serves as Program Lead, planetGOLD Uganda at IMPACT, where he leads work aimed at promoting responsible and mercury-free artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Emilian has previously held program and management roles with organizations including SOS Children’s Villages International and ICCO-Cooperation, contributing to program focused on child protection, civic engagement, inclusive development and resource mobilization. His professional experience spans Uganda and the wider East and Horn of Africa region.
ERIKA BERMEO
National Coordinator, planetGOLD Ecuador
Erika Bermeo is a professional with 10 years of experience in the Ecuadorian mining sector, specializing in the control, administration and regulation of mining activities, both metallic and non-metallic. Her career has focused on the management of projects with an environmental and social perspective, as well as on the formulation and implementation of public policies related to mining governance. She is a Mining Engineer from the University of Azuay and a Master's Degree in Political Science from the Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla (UPAEP), with a specialization in advocacy strategies and conflict management. Throughout her career, she has provided technical and policy advice in the public and private sectors, participated in government transition processes, led mining exploration and exploitation initiatives, and contributed to the design of regulatory and governance frameworks at the local and inter-institutional levels. She currently serves as National Coordinator of the planetGOLD Ecuador project, leading strategic actions for the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining and the reduction of mercury use.
GABRIEL FUNARI
Head of the Observatory of Illicit Economies in the Amazon Basin, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Gabriel Funari is the head of the Observatory of Illicit Economies in the Amazon Basin at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. His work focuses on environmental crime, transnational drug trafficking and community responses to organized crime. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Oxford and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge.
GABRIELA URQUIDI
Deputy Project Lead, planetGOLD Bolivia
Gabriela Urquidi is an Environmental Engineer with postgraduate training in Project Management and specializations in topics related to mining and environmental management. She has more than ten years of experience in the gold mining sector, promoting sustainability and strengthening environmental management in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) since 2015. Between 2017 and 2023 she was part of the Swiss Responsible Gold Initiative in Bolivia, where she served as Operational Coordinator. In this role, she led processes of technical accompaniment, institutional strengthening, and strategic communication, promoting the development of guides, manuals, and pedagogical materials aimed at ASM actors, contributing to the improvement of environmental practices and the adoption of international sustainability standards. Since 2023 she has been a member of the technical coordination team of the planetGOLD Bolivia project, where she articulates her technical experience with a communicational approach aimed at making the work of the sector visible, promoting inter-institutional dialogue and contributing to the implementation of the Minamata Convention by reducing the use of mercury in gold mining.
GASTON REGIE KOETOE-AGAASIE
Promoter of the law and rights of indigenous and tribal nations, Suriname
Gaston Regie Koetoe-Agaasie is an entrepreneur, jurist, promoter of the law and rights of indigenous and tribal nations in Suriname, and director of the KAMPOS foundation. KAMPOS is derived from the first letters of the names of the six maroon tribes/nations of Suriname, namely: Kwinti, Aluku, Matawai, Paamaka, Okanisi and Saamaka. For the establishment of the foundation in 2019, the leaders of these nations signed a memorandum of understanding, creating a framework for cooperation to safeguard the common interests of their people, which ultimately led to this formal cooperative association. KAMPOS is therefore a collaborative partnership of the six tribal nations in Suriname. The board members are elected from these nations on the recommendation of the traditional authorities. The foundation has as its purpose: The promotion of the collective and individual interests of people living in tribal communities in Suriname or certain tribes, as well as the propagation of traditional values and norms, all in the broadest sense of the word; The preservation, promotion, and stimulation of tribal Maroon culture, traditions, and customs; The sustainable management of the traditional territory and the ecosystems within this area.
GEORGES RANDRIAMANIRY
Artisanal Miner
Georges Randriamaniry is from the region of Vatovavy, in Madagascar, is currently the Mayor of the Rural Commune of Vohilava, a gold panner leader and trainer in the field with 12 years of experience in the field.
GERMAN MARQUINES
Technical Consultant, planetGOLD Nicaragua and Paraguay
German Marquines is a geologist with a specialization in Project Management and Financial Management. He has more than 33 years of international experience with a solid track record in the management of ferronickel, emerald, gold and diamond deposits in leading multinational corporations such as BHP Billiton, AngloGold Ashanti and Esmeracol, covering large-scale projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Chile and Canada. In the public sector, he has held strategic positions in key institutions such as the Colombian Geological Service, the National Mining Agency and the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy. His executive experience includes the role of partner and director of the mining area at Azul Energy Colombia, leading businesses and projects in Honduras, Colombia and Ecuador in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) projects. Since 2019, he has been focused on technical consulting for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) with international cooperation agencies such as USAID, UNDP and UNIDO. He currently works as a technical consultant in the planetGOLD global projects in Nicaragua and Paraguay.
GINA D'AMATO
Alliance for Responsible Mining
Gina D'Amato leads Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), an NGO that has spent 22 years proving that small-scale mining can be done responsibly — across more than 20 countries and some of the world's most complex territories. With a background in rural development, agroecology, and psychology, her work has consistently gravitated toward the human side of development — inclusive perspectives, the rights of rural communities, and the recognition of ASM miners as key actors in global justice and climate change. She holds master's degrees from Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía.
GLORIA LANGBAYAN
Social Welfare Officer II, Local Government of the Municipality of Sagada
Gloria Pilamon-Langbayan is the Social Welfare Officer II of the Local Government of the Municipality of Sagada and the focal person for the Women sector of the municipality. Previously, she served as the Gender and Development focal person for the local government, working to facilitate involvement with the planetGOLD program with a focus on women in ASGM.
HECTOR RUBEN
Vice President, Paso Yobái Miners Association
Héctor Rubén Aguilera Aquino has worked in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector since 2007, gaining extensive experience in mining operations, team coordination, and sector management. He currently serves as a coordinator and manager within a mining company operating in Paso Yobái, Paraguay, where he oversees daily operations, supervises work teams, and coordinates with different stakeholders involved in mining activities. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in fostering dialogue and cooperation between the concession-holding company and small-scale miners, helping to strengthen formalization processes and support the organization and development of the sector.
IBRAHIMA KHALIL DOUMBOUYA
Project Manager, planetGOLD Guinea Project
Dr. Ibrahima Kalil Doumbouya has a PhD in Earth Sciences, specializing in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASM) and development project management. He currently serves as the National Coordinator of the planetGOLD Guinea project. During his career, he has coordinated several multi-stakeholder processes bringing together public administrations, technical and financial partners, financial institutions and civil society organizations, in favor of a more sustainable and inclusive governance of the mining sector. Dr. Doumbouya is also a researcher, whose research focuses on the sustainability of the extractive industry and is based on an interdisciplinary approach mobilizing remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence, spatial analysis and social sciences. They aim to strengthen decision-making in mining governance, sustainable management of natural resources and territorial development..
JONATHAN HAMISI
Senior Policy Advisor, IGF
Jonathan Hamisi is a Senior Policy Advisor for the IGF. He is a geologist with over 15 years of experience in the mining industry, academic research, and government agencies. Before the IGF, Jonathan worked at the Geological Survey of Sweden. He has extensive mining experience including exploration, mining, mine closure, resource governance, international development and policy development. His experience includes the implementation of responsible mining practices in the ASM sector. He has also previously held teaching and supervisor positions at Monash University and the University of Stockholm. Jonathan holds a PhD in Geology from Monash University, Australia, a master’s in geological sciences from Stockholm University, Sweden, and a master’s in geology from Lubumbashi University in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He speaks French, English, Swedish, Swahili, and Lingala fluently and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
JUAN JOSE HERRERA
Director of Business Sustainability, Lundin Gold
Since joining Lundin Gold in 2018, Juan José has held a series of strategic leadership roles. He currently serves as Director of Business Sustainability, bringing more than 15 years of experience in mining, energy, and sustainability. In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Mining (CME) since 2023 and is currently serving the 2025–2027 term, helping strengthen the institution and promoting responsible mining as a driver of Ecuador's sustainable economic development. He holds a degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, a master’s degree in Energy Governance from FLACSO, and a diploma in Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He has also completed executive education programs in sustainability, oil and gas, and mining, equipping him with both deep technical expertise and a long-term strategic perspective. He currently leads the implementation of Lundin Gold's Sustainability Strategy, oversees the Company's enterprise-wide risk management framework, and manages high-level engagement with government authorities, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders. He also leads the community investment programs in Zamora Chinchipe that have contributed to local job creation, economic development, and enhanced community well-being, reinforcing Lundin Gold's position as a benchmark for responsible mining practices. In 2025, he received the "Sustainability Visionary Award" from Grupo EKOS in recognition of his leadership in initiatives that integrate business competitiveness and sustainable development across Ecuador.
JUAN MANUEL CHAVARRIA
Master of Ceremonies / Communication Expert
Juan Manuel Chavarría is a communications expert, education specialist, and holds a Master’s degree in Social Innovation and Territorial Development. He has more than ten years of experience designing and implementing communication and environmental education strategies and has worked as a communications coordinator on international cooperation projects with TDH Germany, UNOPS, FAO, UNDP, WCS, and government institutions. From 2019 to 2024, he served as Communications Officer for the planetGOLD Colombia project, where he developed communication, awareness-raising, and knowledge management strategies through the national “Colombia Mercury-Free” campaign. He also led the communications strategy for Stockholm+50 in Colombia and coordinated communications for UNDP Colombia during the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia.
JULIO CESAR PORRAS
Geologist
Julio Cesar Porras is a Geologist with experience in mineral projects and environmental studies. He is a specialist in Geographic Information Systems, Mining Engineering, Master in Geographic Information Technologies and Master in Mining Geology. With 25 years of experience, Julio has worked in different roles in the development of mining projects in their prospecting, exploration and exploitation stages, open pit or underground, with the presence of ASGM communities. He has extensive knowledge of the mineral exploration and beneficiation process, as well as knowledge of environmental determinants for mining. Julio has extensive experience in the development of exploration campaigns, deposit modeling and definition of mineral resources in areas where the ASGM is present, in technical assistance processes to these communities, working on improving gold production and the adoption of better mining safety systems and extractive mining techniques, in Colombia in the mining areas of Marmáto (Caldas), Apía and Quinchía (Risaralda), the mining areas of Chocó, in Amagá, Frontino, Zaragoza, Segovia and Remedios (Antioquia), the Cesar area, the South of Bolívar and in other countries such as Peru and Chile.
KATHLEEN BLOM
Board Member, planetGOLD Suriname project
Katheen Blom manages two Limited Liabilities, established under Surinamese Law, “Sarakreek Resource Corporation Ltd.” and “China Mega Suriname Mining Investment Company Ltd.,” both cooperating mining companies, registered at the Suriname Chamber of Commerce. Blom is also the Chairperson for the Association for Holders of a Mining Right, a member of the Multi-Sectoral Group (MSG) Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Suriname, and a Board member of the planetGOLD Suriname project ‘Advancing Formalization and Mercury-Free Gold in Suriname.’
KHISHGEE DONDOV
Project Manager, planetGOLD Mongolia Project
Khishgee Dondov worked on the planetGOLD Mongolia Project from the PPG phase through its implementation, initially serving as the Local Coordinator and later as Project Manager. Over the course of the project, she gained extensive experience in community development, facilitation, and project management, particularly in supporting national stakeholders to advance ASGM formalization and build effective communication and partnerships. Through this experience, she came to see ASGM formalization as requiring more than a legal framework focused solely on mining activities. She believes sustainable formalization requires the active participation and continued support of stakeholders across the entire gold supply chain, together with an enabling environment that can turn the challenges faced by ASM communities into opportunities for more responsible and inclusive gold production.
KUNDAI MIDZI
Artisanal Miner
Kundai Chikonzo Midzi is a small-scale gold miner based in Filabusi, Zimbabwe, in the Insiza District, with over 14 years of experience in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector. An accountant by profession, she is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, community development, and sustainable growth within the artisanal and small-scale women’s mining sector. Kundai’s journey into mining began as a livelihood choice that emerged from consultancy work she was conducting with miners. As an accountant, she provided consultancy services in project management, project proposal development, and facilitating loan applications for mining operations. Through this work, she developed a close understanding of the challenges faced by miners and became actively involved in supporting their business growth.
LUDOVIC BERNAUDAT
Head of GEF Chemicals and Green Chemistry Unit, UNEP / planetGOLD Global Programme Manager
Ludovic Bernaudat is the head of the Knowledge and Risk Unit in the Chemicals and Health Branch of UNEP. Mr. Bernaudat has 24 years of experience in the development and implementation of technical cooperation projects in the areas of international waters and chemicals and waste with a strong focus on mercury pollution. Since 2007, Mr. Bernaudat has been the co-lead of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area on Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM). In this capacity, he has supported the development of the article 7 on ASGM, and its associated Annex C, of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Over the past 24 years, Mr. Bernaudat has developed and managed ASGM-related projects in over 30 countries. In 2016, he led the development of the GEF GOLD programme. He is the planetGOLD programme manager.
LUIS FERNANDEZ
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation
Luis Fernandez the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation - CINCIA, a research center based in the Peruvian Amazon that studies the environmental impacts of illegal gold and mercury. Luis is also a Research Professor of Biology at Wake Forest University, a Fellow at the Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, and a Visiting Investigator at the Carnegie Institution for Science Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University. Trained as a tropical ecologist, Luis Fernandez is an expert on the effects of ASGM-related mercury pollution on humans and biodiversity. Luis has led research efforts to study and address ASGM-related environmental impacts in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Madagascar, and is an author on more than 70+ scientific papers and reports. His research has been profiled on CNN, The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Scientific American, the PBS Newshour, and most recently, on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Luis previously held professional positions at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Michigan. In 2009, the USEPA awarded Luis the agency's highest award, the EPA's Gold Medal for Outstanding Service, for his work on the dynamics of mercury in the Amazon Basin.
HIS EXCELLENCY DR. MANUEL ALBERTO ZAMBRANO CHANG
Vice Minister of Health of the Republic of Panama
His excellency Dr. Manuel Alberto Zambrano Chang completed his higher education at the Schools of Medicine at the University of Panama and the Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla, Ciudad de Medico. His professional career has unfolded at the Social Security Fund and at the Alejandro de la Guardia, Jr. and Dr. José Joaquín Vallarino Polyclinics, respectively, where he practiced as a physician in various centers for minors, treating thousands of young people deprived of their liberty and at social risk. In 2009, Dr. Zambrano was appointed Executive Director of the Office of Comprehensive Security of the Ministry of Government and Justice—later the Ministry of Public Safety—where, under his leadership, the Comprehensive Safety Program (PROSI) was implemented as a result of the loan agreement between the Republic of Panama and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the aim of contributing to the improvement of safety levels and civic harmony in the municipalities of Colón, David, Panama, and San Miguelito, in coordination with various institutions and civil society. At the same time, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America, Outreach Centers were built in the municipalities of Panama, Darién, and San Miguelito, among others. The Juvenile Detention Center in Las Garzas de Pacora was inaugurated, serving as a model in the region, with a satisfactory final evaluation of its implementation and execution, which served as the basis for securing funds to expand the program, leading to the signing of the Non-Reimbursable Financing Agreement between the Government of Panama and the European Union, known as SECOPA. In the private sector, Dr. Zambrano is an entrepreneur in the real estate and construction industries.
MARTIN PASTOR
Programme Officer, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - UNODC
Martín Pastor is a Programme Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Ecuador, where he leads initiatives to prevent and combat transnational organised crime linked to illegal mining and environmental crimes. He has over nine years’ experience in international cooperation and university teaching in international relations. He holds two master’s degrees in International Relations and Development Cooperation, as well as postgraduate studies in development and public policy, money laundering and compliance, and organised crime and counter-terrorism, undertaken in Spain, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina.
MAURICIO RODAS
National Coordinator, planetGOLD Paraguay Project
Mauricio Rodas is a Chemical Engineer graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA). He holds a technical background in Computer Technology, as well as professional certifications from the Paraguayan Association for Quality (APC) as an Environmental Management Systems Manager (ISO 14001) and an Occupational Health and Safety Manager (OHSAS 18001). With extensive experience leading and coordinating high-impact environmental projects at both national and international levels, Mauricio has consulted for the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Paraguay (MADES) and multilateral cooperation agencies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Currently, he serves as the National Coordinator for the planetGOLD Paraguay Project.
MICHELE VIALE
Directorate of Police Services (EDPS), INTERPOL’s General Secretariat
Mr. Michele Viale serves as the Operations Coordinator for Pollution and Illegal Mining Crime within the Environmental Security Sub-Directorate (ENS) of the Organized and Emerging Crime (OEC) Executive Directorate of Police Services (EDPS) at INTERPOL’s General Secretariat in Lyon, France, a position he has held since 2023. Prior to joining INTERPOL, Mr. Viale served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Italian Carabinieri Corps (2010–2022), where he advanced to Senior Officer and Chief of the Investigation Team on Environmental Crimes (2012–2022). Mr. Viale holds a Master’s Degree in Science and Environmental Security from Università Sapienza in Rome (2012), completed specialized training at the Ministry of Interior’s Police Academy in Rome (2010–2012), and earned a University Degree in International and European Law from the University of Milano (2003).
MICHEL YAO KOFFI
Project Manager, planetGOLD Cote d'Ivoire Project
Michel YAO KOFFI holds a Master’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Political Science, as well as several professional certifications in project management, human rights, mediation, and peacebuilding. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Gender, Economics, and Sustainable Water Management. His professional career has been marked by diverse experience in the fields of development, project management, and community development. He worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and subsequently served as a Youth Training and Empowerment Specialist at the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). He also served as Office Chief and Regional Coordinator for the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project. He currently works as a Project Manager at IMPACT. As part of the planetGOLD Côte d’Ivoire project, he contributes specifically to initiatives aimed at reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale mining, formalizing the sector’s stakeholders, improving access to financing, building capacity, and promoting a more inclusive and sustainable approach to the sector.
MONICA ANYEDE ETYANG
Artisanal Miner
Monica Anyede Etyang is a gold miner from Tiira mine site in Busia District, Eastern Uganda. Etyang was introduced to mining through a friend and has remained active in the sector since then.
MONIKA STANKIEWICZ
Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
Ms. Monika Stankiewicz was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury on 13 January 2020. She has more than 20 years of experience working on environmental issues, including 13 years, of which 7 years in an executive position at an intergovernmental organization. Most recently, she served as Executive Secretary of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), leading the team of 30 staff, during 2012-2019. She is former Professional Secretary of HELCOM dealing with environmental impact of shipping and safety of navigation and cooperation with International Maritime Organization (2006-2011).
In 1998-2006 she worked in the environmental sector of the Polish public administration. She was a member of the writing team of the chapter on hazardous substances of the 2nd World Ocean Assessment under the UN Regular Process. In 2019 and in her personal capacity, she was a member of the EU Mission Board for Healthy Oceans, Seas, Coastal and Inland Waters, established to assist the European Commission in designing the 2021-2027 research and innovation programme “Horizon Europe. Monika holds a Master of Science degree in Chemistry and the Certificate of Postgraduate Studies on European Integration from Gdansk University.
NELLIE MUTEMERI
Founder and Mining Practice Director, MutConsult
Prof. Nellie Mutemeri, is a Mineral Resources Governance Expert with a PhD in Geology. She is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Mining Engineering, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a former Director of its Mineral Resources Governance Research Group. She is the Founder and Mining Practice Director of MutConsult an advisory service in minerals, energy and climate. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the minerals sector in Africa, Latin America and Asia, focusing on sustainability, mineral policy and strategy, ASM formalisation, skills and technology development and transfer, gender equality, and responsible supply chains. She has contributed to global research outputs on gender in the minerals sector including the World Bank’s “State of the ASM Sector Report - 2023t” and the UNEP’s “Incorporating Gender Dimensions into National Strategy Setting in Chemicals Management for Minamata Convention National Action Plans for Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining and Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plans”. She is an Advisor to the Multistakeholder Partnership Initiative for Responsible and Sustainable ASGM, sponsored by the World Bank and the World Gold Council.
NOEL LUMBAMA
Artisanal Miner
Noel Lumbama is an artisanal miner based in Matipa village and occasionally in Lusaka, Zambia. He has a background in design, communications, and business management. Driven by a commitment to community development, he transitioned into artisanal mining upon returning to Zambia to help improve livelihoods in my home village. Alongside family members, he co-founded the Kwetu Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited to introduce sustainable, collaborative economic activities to the area. Today, he serves as the Chairperson of the cooperative, which holds an official artisanal mining rights license. In this role, he manages a dedicated team of 10 people operating across our hilly mining site and flat processing grounds, leading daily operations, strategic planning, and evening team reviews.
NYARADZO MUTONHORI
Project Manager, planetGOLD Zimbabwe Project
Nyaradzo Mutonhori is the Project Manager for the planetGOLD Zimbabwe Project. A lawyer by profession, she is also a gender and responsible sourcing specialist focused on advancing inclusive and equitable approaches within the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. Her work supports gender responsive policy development, responsible mineral supply chains, and stronger participation of women in mining communities across Africa. Through her engagement with IMPACT and related initiatives, Nyaradzo has contributed to efforts promoting social inclusion, community engagement, and safer, more sustainable, mercury-free mining practices. At the planetGOLD Global Conference, she is moderating a session on inclusive ASGM government policy, with a focus on the role of social dynamics in shaping equitable and effective policy approaches for the sector.
PAUL CORDY
Geoscientist
Paul Cordy is a geoscientist with over 20 years of experience in mining, evaluation of international development projects, geology, policy development, risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, project management and design, modelling, and analysis of complex geophysical datasets. He has worked to assess and reduce environmental impacts by artisanal miners with USAID, the GEF, UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, Global Affairs Canada, and various NGOs in more than 20 countries. He has helped UNDP plan planetGOLD projects in Indonesia, Peru, Kenya, Colombia, Honduras, Uganda, and Ecuador, earning a deep understanding of the contexts in which the planetGOLD projects operate and the progression of the program leading up to and following its inception. Most recently, Cordy authored the UNEP’s Cross-Programmatic Assessment of the planetGOLD Programme; Phase 1 (2018-2025). In the past three years Cordy has also worked on creating or evaluating the Minamata National Action Plans for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Madagascar, Rwanda and Angola, and on implementation of mercury free gold recovery in the Peru Amazon.
RENE ROGER TISSOT
Executive Director, Artisanal Gold Council
Roger brings extensive experience working in extractive industries in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, with emphasis on local content development, and governance issues. Roger holds an M.A. in Economics from Universite Laval, Quebec, and an MBA from the University of Calgary. He is also currently engaged in a PhD on Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. After a career in the oil and gas industry, Roger has focused his attention on issues related to ASGM as part of his doctoral research – with emphasis on formalization models in the global south. Roger is married to Jennifer, and they have one daughter Chantal.
RICHARD GUTIERREZ
Programme Management Officer for National Reporting, Minamata Convention on Mercury Secretariat
Richard is currently the Programme Management Officer for National Reporting of the Minamata Convention Secretariat. Richard is an international environmental law practitioner working at the forefront of promoting environmental justice in the field of chemicals and waste since 2001. He has also been part of the global NGO coalition that pushed for a binding mercury treaty and has been an active participant in the development of the global mercury issue since 2007. Prior to joining the Minamata Secretariat, Richard was managing projects on mercury-free technology projects on artisanal small-scale gold mining in Indonesia, the Philippines and Mongolia.
ROSINE ATAFEINAM ABALO
President, Association of Women in Mining and Enterprise of Togo (AFEMET)
Mrs. Rosine Atafeinam Abalo holds a doctorate degree on geological formations of South of Togo where the phosphate mineral resources are located, with an internship in France during her research, while a Ph.D. from Lome University. She also has a double Masters Degree, one from Morocco University and the other from Togo. She was the Project Analyst at the Togolese Presidency and a member of the Technical Team of the Presidential Council for Investment. She teaches geotechnics and mining operations at the University of Lomé. As the President of the Association of Women in Mining and Enterprise of Togo (AFEMET), she works daily to promote visibility, leadership, and socioeconomic empowerment of women in general, and especially of those involved in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). As such, she supports over twenty women's cooperatives in ASGM in Togo.
Dr. Abalo also works within various women's networks in Africa to promote gender mainstreaming in mining policies and projects. Among other initiatives, she contributed to the drafting of the ECOWAS Charter on Gender mainstreaming in the Geo-extractive Sector.
SAIDOU KABRE
Project Manager, Artisanal Gold Council, Formerly with planetGOLD Burkina Faso Project
Mr. Saidou Kabre is an economist and mining sector investment specialist. His experience has focused on the management of development projects in the environment, forestry, agriculture and in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining sectors in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and the Central African region. He has worked on setting up several mechanisms to facilitate access to funding, supervising farmers and disseminating production and environmental protection technologies. He holds a Master's degree in Macroeconomics and Development Management and a Master's degree in Digital Territorial Project Management (GPNT). Mr. Kabre is currently the Regional Manager of the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) and is leading the planetGOLD project implementation on behalf of AGC.
SHANE CORNELIUS
Artisanal Miner
Shane Cornelius is the Toshao/Leader of Karrau Amerindian Village located in Lower Mazaruni River, Region 7 of Guyana, and Secretary of National Toshaos Council. He has led his Village for the past 5 years now. Cornelius oversees the mining operations on village lands and provides guidance where possible. Before this leadership role Cornelius was a miner in the field.
SOVEIDA BEATRIZ CASTANEDA ALCERRO
Artisanal Miner
Soveida Beatriz Castañeda is an artisanal miner from Lake Yojoa, Cortés, and currently works in the community of Santa Cruz Minas, Quimistán, Santa Barbara, Honduras. Her job is to coordinate the workers during the extraction of the brush, bring the material for processing, and supervise each stage in the processing plants. She currently works in partnership with eight people, four women and four men, and they also subcontract to other workers in the area. Most of the work they do is artisanal.
SUSAN KEANE
Senior Director of Global Toxics, NRDC / planetGOLD Programme Global Coordinator
Susan Egan Keane is Senior Director of Global Toxics at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Susan is a public health specialist with over 35 years of experience working on a range of domestic and international environmental health issues. Most recently Susan has focused on reducing global mercury pollution, particularly in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). She is now working with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNEP on the GEF-funded planetGOLD programme to reduce mercury use in ASGM in countries around the world. She is also the co-leader of the ASGM Area of the United Nations Environment Programme's Global Mercury Partnership.
TAMBA CHRISTOPHER LAMIN
Artisanal Miner
Tamba Christopher Lamin has been an artisanal miner for over twenty-five years, initially mining diamonds and then transitioning to gold mining about fifteen years ago. Lamin’s chiefdom and family have been connected to mining for decades and he is also Chairman for the Land-owning Families in Grima Village and Chairman for the Grima Miners Cooperative Society Limited (GRIMCOS). The Cooperative was registered with the Department of Cooperatives, Sierra Leone in 2021, with a membership of 32, including 12 women. Grima is a village in Nimima Section, Penguia Chiefdom, Kailahun District, Sierra Leone.
TUYA DAMDINJAMTS
Artisanal Miner
Ms. Tuya Damdinjamts is an artisanal and small-scale miner from Mandal soum in Selenge province, where she leads the “Shijir Khishig” ASGM partnership. She entered the mining sector during Mongolia’s transition to a market economy in the 1990s, when widespread unemployment led many people to seek livelihoods in gold mining. With decades of experience, Ms. Tuya has transitioned from informal “ninja” mining to organized, responsible artisanal mining. She is committed to improving miners’ livelihoods while promoting safer working conditions, environmental rehabilitation, and sustainable practices within her community.
