The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation organizes on 4 July 2018 in Geneva an event on small-scale and artisanal mining for sustainable development: opportunities and risks for sustainable development.
Artisanal and small-scale mining: opportunities and risks for sustainable development
Wednesday, 04.07.2018 – Wednesday, 04.07.2018
Conference Assembly
Location: the Conference Centre Varembé, Geneva
Artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) engages an estimated 100 million people in over 70 developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific Region. ASM is an important livelihood activity, which could potentially contribute to sustainable and inclusive development. But it comes with many challenges with regard to its social and environmental impact, human rights violations and the effects of uncontrolled toxic waste spills.
Switzerland is one of the most important trading and refining venues for precious metals worldwide, with gold refineries providing for around 40% of global refining capacity. At the same time, with projects in Latin America and Mongolia, Switzerland has been playing a pioneering role in the promotion of a human rights based approach in ASM as well as in the formalization and integration of the sector into national legislations.
Participants will share their knowledge and discuss the role in artisanal and small-scale mining of domestic and international actors, including the private sector. Representatives from the Swiss Government as well as international organizations, industry organizations, smelters and processors, civil society organizations and other experts will attend the event.
The event will take place in English only.
