The intent of the Code is to provide the industry with a tool that facilitates purchasing gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in compliance with the OECD Due Diligence Guide.
Since mid last year, RESOLVE and the Alliance for Responsible Mining have been spearheading the development of the Code of Risk-mitigation for Artisanal and small-scale mining engaging in Formal Trade (CRAFT). In January 2018, the decision to change its name (before called Market Entry Standard) was widely accepted by all the actors that are participating in the development of the Code. Since mid-2017, the CRAFT is being developed through a project funded by the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM).
The intent of the Code is to provide the industry with a tool that facilitates purchasing gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining sector (ASM), in compliance with the OECD Due Diligence Guide and under a progressive performance approach. Diverse players in the gold supply chain, from gold industry associations to standards organizations and subject-matter experts, are invited to contribute their expertise and participate in the standard-setting process by joining the two governance bodies of the CRAFT: the Advisory Group and the Code Committee. In accordance with the ISEAL Code of Good Practices for the development of Social and Environmental Standards, a first round of public consultation on the content of the CRAFT will be open for a period of 60 days, between February 26th and April 26th, 2018.
During this time, various activities will be scheduled to canvass the largest number of comments and to receive the reactions of the greatest possible number of players in the gold supply chain, giving special emphasis to the participation of groups of artisanal and small-scale miners. Consultations will simultaneously be held through other venues with government officials, representatives of civil society, and subject-matter experts, among others. During the open consultation process, all stakeholders are invited to submit their input on the version of the Code, which will be published on the CRAFT webpage on February 19th in Spanish, English, and French. Currently scheduled activities include the following:
- Workshops to present and discuss the Standard with male and female miners in Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Ghana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and other countries
- Meetings with representatives of local and national governments
- Individual interviews with key players to discuss specific topics
- Publishing the form containing information on the Standard on the Alliance for Responsible Mining website
- Online streaming of conferences, forums, or different events with relevant associations and groups.
At the end of february we will announce the instructions for participating in these activities, as well as further details on how to send your comments on the Code. For additional information on the development of the CRAFT, we invite you to read the related documents online at our website.