News & Voices

As Member States and observers gather in Geneva, Switzerland for the 5th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the planetGOLD programme aims to contribute to the global knowledge base on reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Explore the information document the programme has published detailing lessons learned from technology transfer activities in planetGOLD phase 1 projects.

As initiated by the pilot Gender Committee, the planetGOLD Mongolia project collaborated with Mandal soum’s Children’s Palace and Tunkhel Secondary School to organize an art competition titled "Make Mercury History".

The planetGOLD Mongolia project is the first "gardener” to start actively planting the planetGOLD criteria standard on Mongolian soil, which is a branched-out version of the CRAFT Code (The Code of Risk-mitigation for Artisanal and small-scale Mining Engaging in Formal Trade), another further international standard.

“Үнэт Металл, Үнэт Чулууны Арилжаа Эрхлэгчдийн Үндэсний Форум” 2023 оны 4-р сарын 12-нд болов. Хоёр дахь жилдээ зохиогдсон уг форумыг Үнэт Металлын Үндэсний Холбоо санаачилж, Санхүүгийн зохицуулах хороо, Монголбанк болон planetGOLD Монгол төсөл хамтран зохион байгууллаа.

Here is the story of importing mercury-free processing system (MFPS) equipment from South America to Central Asia. It outlines the challenges of overseeing international logistics management at the best of times, compounded by the intersecting challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a local strike in Colombia, and a complex international incident involving Russia, Ukraine, NATO, and ensuing sanctions.

Alongside the Precious Metal Traders National Association and Misheel Expo LLC, the planetGOLD Mongolia project co-organized the Precious Metals and Jewellery Forum and Expo in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from April 12-16, 2023.

The planetGOLD Mongolia project launched a pilot of Artisanal Miners Gender Committee and held a workshop on September 15th, 2022, in Mandal Soum, Selenge Province. The committee will serve as platform for conducting open dialogues on issues and challenges related gender equality and human rights among female and male artisanal miners in the project target area.

After nearly three years of waiting, new artisanal and small-scale mining regulations have been approved by the Government of Mongolia. In September 2019 the Government had suspended key clauses of the ASM regulations until they was revised, leading to a freeze on issuing new ASM land permits and discontinuation of existing mining contracts. The planetGOLD Mongolia project was included in a taskforce led by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry for revising and developing the new ASM regulations.

The planetGOLD Mongolia project advocated for a responsible artisanal gold supply chain and investment opportunities during the country’s first-ever Precious Metals and Jewellery Forum and Expo in April 2022.

In 2020, the planetGOLD Mongolia project conducted a contextual study to assess the standards and practices of ASGM in Bayangol soum, Mandal soum, and Tunkhel village of Selenge province, as well as Altai soum of Khovd province, and Yusunbulag soum of Gobi-Altai province.

Mongolia, a vast country characterized by rugged landscapes, a nomadic culture, and an active artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector has not been untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a robust testing system and restrictions in place, Mongolia has been able to curb extensive spread of the virus, which has plateaued at roughly 1,000 cases per day, but that has not left the ASGM sector untouched from economic impacts.

In support of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, our partner the Artisanal Gold Council as the executing agency of the planetGOLD projects in Mongolia and the Philippines highlights initiatives in these countries and three other related country projects in the Asia-Pacific region actively addressing occupational health and safety hazards in the ASGM sector.