7 th Annual CASM Conference Effective Partnerships for Sustainable ASM Communities

1. 7th Annual CASM ConferenceEffective Partnerships for Sustainable ASM Communities Reflectionson the conference Ed O’Keefe Synergy Global Consulting www.synergy-global.net

2. Partnerships • ASM and government • Expansion of policing role of government to creating an enabling environment, providing education and social protection • Peru – new legislation is working effectively • PNG – success of close link between ASM and land rights • LSM and ASM partnerships • Recognition by ICMM • Contracts between LSM and ASM in Philippines • LSM and government partnerships • Initiatives to support ASM e.g. legal reform, security in Ghana • Supply chain • Fair trade – partnership between groups along the supply chain • ASM-ASM • Sharing experiences within CASM, particularly new technologies • Two-way learning between ‘experts’ and practitioners in mercury • Between disciplines – engineers, businessmen, lawyers, social specialists, civil servants, consultants, NGOs, academics, etc

3. Partnerships • Growing consensus about the role of responsible and organised ASM in wider development and poverty reduction • Willingness to cooperate for mutual benefit • ‘Live and let live’ • Recognition of shared responsibilities • e.g. environmental protection • Realism about limits of partnerships • Gold price affects LSM tolerance of ASM in ‘marginal’ sites in Ghana • Challenges of engaging complex and shady supply chains • No ‘one size fits all’ solutions, e.g. technology solutions • Recognising different strengths and capacity • Recognising the validity of different perceptions of situations • Building trusting and understanding relationships takes time • Mercury management • Process is key • Recognition of the different rights and responsibilities • No rights – no responsibilities

4. Rights • Right to employment • Mongolian herders shifting to ASM • Includes right to run a business and right to collect taxes • Right to life and a healthy environment • safety and environmental issues • Right to a decent standard of living • freedom from want • Right to security • freedom from fear, protection against unemployment • Right to protection of the family, including motherhood and childhood • Right to education • Right to own property, including land and businesses • Right to participation in decision-making • Right to equality before the law, including equality for women

5. Responsibilities • Establish an enabling, equitable and supportive legal framework to protect rights • Opportunity in Mongolia • Ensuring the institutions, resources and political will to make this work • Protection of rights to own property • Legislation developed for LSM may not be equitable for ASM • Gender sensitive policies and legislation • Responsible operation in ways which do not abuse these rights • Protecting rights of women and children, e.g. ILO child labour work • Contracts between ASM and LSM coal miners in Philippines • Safe working environment • Good environmental management e.g. rehabilitation • Provision of services, including education, sharing information and technologies • Mercury – education is everything • Access to credit and markets • Solution to combined mercury and cyanide use may require micro-credit • Inclusive consultation and decision-making processes • Prior informed consent in PNG is successful • Supporting gender sensitive leadership and decision-making • Accountability and transparency • Dilemmas of balancing rights and responsibilities • Too strictly enforced legislation can marginalise people • Mechanisms for resolving disputes

6. Mongolia • Active involvement of miners • Transition and harsh winter lead to recent emergence of ASM • Chance to share ideas and experiences with others • Importance of ASM in to vulnerable groups • Growing maturity of artisanal groups • Models of good practice being developed • Challenges of access to supply chain • Massive opportunity from legislation reform

7. CASM coming of age • Core consensus and active debate • Recognition of ASM internationally • ICMM, G8, media coverage • Independence and growth of initiatives • Expansion of fair trade to other commodities and regions • Distilling our huge body of experience to share with others • ILO Health and Safety guidelines • Is the CASM conference outgrowing itself? • Balancing focus on practical action and international/strategic issues • Strengthening regional approaches • Growth of specialist groups and task forces • Extending linkages • Rapid development of LSM-ASM • Mainstreaming gender into other areas, e.g. technology • Sustainable supply chains • ASM and climate change – carbon footprints • Linking to other initiatives – e.g. ‘Green Buildings’ • Links between ASM and agriculture and regional development • Integration of ASM with other policies and legislation

8. Making partnerships effective and sustainable • Defining the development outcomes of supporting ASM: • Supporting ASM as effective business • Supporting ASM as benefiting communities • Supporting ASM as a path out of poverty • Recognising the business case • Reduction of mercury is good business management • Use of cyanide and mercury is driven by need for quick cash • Are we ensuring financial sustainability of ASM businesses? • Responsible ASM supported by security of tenure – e.g. Goldfields • What forms of business model are appropriate e.g. cooperatives? • Clarifying the benefits to the community? • Who is the ‘community’ - miners, families, communities, ‘local’, national? • Clearly defined landowners in PNG • Supporting capacity and role of local government? • Monitoring the development impacts of ASM • How can transition out of ASM be supported? • Will ninjas return to herding? • transition seen as bad in Goldfields, good in Mongolia • PACT / CommDev work on alternative livelihoods in DRC