The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and RESOLVE started an interim revision process to strengthen the CRAFT code and scale up positive impact for miners.
The CRAFT 2.1 version aims at enhancing integration between the upstream implementation of CRAFT and within the downstream industry due diligence initiatives.
The CRAFT Code has been implemented since 2020 to support artisanal and small-scale miners to mitigate critical risks.
The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and RESOLVE published the Code of Risk-mitigation for ASM engaging in Formal Trade (CRAFT) 2.0, an open-source standard for Artisanal and Small-scale Miners (ASM). CRAFT ultimately aims to help artisanal miners to 1) identify and mitigate critical risks; 2) benefit from strengthened livelihoods through expanded access to markets that are committed to responsible sourcing; and 3) continue making further progressive improvements over time and with support from supply chain partners. CRAFT was developed with guidance from artisanal mining cooperatives, civil society, governments, development agencies and experts, and also through two global public consultation processes. In the three years following its publication, various ASM miners, projects, and market actors have begun using the CRAFT Code, developing tools or schemes for gold, gemstones, and diamonds in Colombia, Honduras, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and Liberia, among others.
Scaling-up positive impact
In addition to its present uses, we have observed an opportunity to further enhance connectivity between the upstream implementation of CRAFT and downstream industry due diligence initiatives. Therefore, ARM and RESOLVE now propose an interim revision of CRAFT that would:
- Make minor changes to the Code’s language to match the wording of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and include language clarifying the degree to which certain criteria are an obligation rather than a recommendation, thus making the standard easier to audit.
- Provide additional guidance that will clarify the scope of responsibilities in the CRAFT Code, specifying what is expected from the upstream and what is expected from the mid-and downstream.
The revision will take place from April 2023 through February 2024. During this period, ARM and RESOLVE will actively engage with CRAFT practitioners, users, and stakeholders at all stages in supply chains to learn from their experiences and needs to enrich CRAFT 2.1 development.
For further details about the intended modifications and timeline, please see the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the revision process here. Welcome any comments on the ToR to here until May 15th, 2023.
“The CRAFT Code is an attempt to bring all the stakeholders to the table around a consensus on a practical application of the due diligence guidance for artisanal and small-scale mining. Its adoption by ASM producers, development programs and industry actors shows there is an appetite for a common tool that the bridges the necessities of miners and industry stakeholders. Achieving a full OECD alignment will be an important step to a more systemic integration of the CRAFT Code with industry schemes and companies´ processes, contributing to the mainstreaming of the engagement with ASM.”
“CRAFT embraces the importance of progressive improvement, which is key for meaningfully scaling the kind of environmental and social improvements and improved livelihoods that we all want to see in the artisanal sector. Although many challenges remain, we believe these revisions are an important step in enabling responsible downstream organizations to source from artisanal miners that meet the requirements of OECD.”
Background of the CRAFT 2.0 development
From 2017 to 2020, with support from the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), ARM and RESOLVE developed CRAFT through a widely participative process involving diverse stakeholders from all parts of the supply chain, mining communities, civil society, governments, multilateral organizations, independent experts, among others. Two governance groups were established with the aim to advise and guide the elaboration of this tool: CRAFT Advisory Group and CRAFT Technical Committee. Additional input was solicited through two rounds of public consultations organized in 2018 and 2020. The two global, public stakeholder consultation processes involved over 462 individuals from more than 20 countries spanning 6 continents. After addressing all comments and incorporating suggested improvements resulting from two separate public consultations, the final version was compiled within three volumes, and CRAFT Code 2.0 was published on October 5th, 2020.
Get to know more about the CRAFT Code here.