Resources

The planetGOLD programme works to make small-scale gold mining safer, cleaner, and more profitable from mine to market—by closing the financing gap, supporting formalization, and connecting miners with mercury-free technology and formal markets. 

The 2024-2025 Annual Progress Report provides an overview of the progress made in these four key programmatic areas, and in other aspects of the programme including mainstreaming gender equality along with awareness raising and communication outreach. The report includes data from the national projects and the global coordination project. 

This report provides a cross-programmatic assessment of the first phase (2018-2025) of the planetGOLD programme, which comprised nine country-level projects as well as a global coordination project. The report first examines planetGOLD’s strategies for ASGM development in terms of formalization, technology transfer, financial and market access, and communications, and includes observations and recommendations for activities under each pillar. 

Common challenges, divergent approaches, and successful methods are discussed against the background of gender and Indigenous issues. The report then reflects on sustainability of outcomes and concludes

This guide focuses on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues related to artisanal and small-scale mining, with an emphasis on gold mining. Addressing OSH risks improves worker well-being, enhances productivity, and encourages responsible mining practices. However, challenges such as insufficient data, lack of infrastructure, and the need for gender-responsive interventions, mean that OSH measures are usually not fully implemented in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.

This quick reference guide is intended for managers of projects working with mine operations, as well as mine operators themselves, who want to improve

This brochure is meant for sharing with representatives of commercial banks that may be interested in investing in artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations. It gives an overview of the sector and its financing needs, business opportunities, ways to de-risk the sector, and additional resources on the topic.

The comparative analysis detailed in this document draws learnings from efforts undertaken by nine planetGOLD countries participating in the first phase of the programme, by highlighting similarities and differences between different geographic and regulatory environments. This analysis available in English, French and Spanish draws on detailed case studies of these phase one countries' experiences.

In addition to this report, the nine planetGOLD country case studies plus additional materials analyzing access to finance interventions for the ASGM sector can be found on this resource page.

The report examines the relationship between national fiscal regimes and the formality of the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. Specifically, the study attempts to determine whether and to what extent a country’s fiscal regime – the total of taxes, fees, and royalties – acts as significant factor pushing ASGM producers and exporters into informality. The report addresses the production segment of the gold supply chain from the commercialisation segment and focusses specifically on nine planetGOLD countries: Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Peru.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining's predominantly informal nature, regulatory constraints, financial limitations, and difficulties in meeting compliance standards all present challenges for miners to access formal markets. This report assesses the efficacy of planetGOLD ASGM supply chain mechanisms — focusing on experiences from country projects funded during the program's first phase, with the objective of distilling key insights for similar ASGM market access initiatives.

This report provides guidance for planetGOLD ASGM entities to conform with the planetGOLD Criteria for Environmentally and Socially Responsible Operations, specifically one criterion that requires ASGM entities to consult with and seek free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from any Indigenous or tribal community whose rights or lands may be impacted.

This document provides an overview of the interventions that have been carried out across the planetGOLD programme as of June 2023 to advance responsible mining and eliminate mercury from the ASGM gold supply chain, through technology transfer, technical support, training, and sharing knowledge on best practices in mercury-free gold processing.

When artisanal and small-scale miners produce gold observing relevant environmental, social and governance standards, practical barriers to accessing international markets typically still remain. This report aims to inform the funders, leaders, and managers of existing and planned ASGM Market Access Initiatives, to highlight the impediments such initiatives face in establishing a flow of formal responsible ASM gold into international markets.