Democratic Republic of the Congo

Many communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rely on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) — mining independently using their own resources, usually by hand — as a primary livelihood. While a significant driver of DRC’s economy, it tends to be an informal and risky business. If not managed properly, ASM can have negative impacts on the health and well-being of miners, and the community at large. According to DRC mining law, artisanal miners are required to be members of a registered cooperative to engage in legal mining activities in designated artisanal mining sites. However, many ASM cooperatives tend to exist in name only. Given its informal nature, ASM (particularly gold) has also been used to fuel conflict in eastern DRC. As a key source of income for armed groups and criminal networks in DRC, more than 95 percent of DRC’s artisanal gold is smuggled into adjoining countries. But when done right, ASM can bring direct benefits to communities.

Global Communities’ vast experience working with cooperatives in conflict zones around the world has provided the expertise needed to strengthen ASM cooperatives, provide commercial opportunities and create necessary export or other incentives to ensure that they can sustain legal operations independently without continuous donor funding. And, empowering cooperatives and strengthening the ASM supply chain contributes to reducing instability in DRC. Global Communities is proud to be working collaboratively with artisanal miners to find a safe, productive and economically viable way of earning a living without contributing to conflict, while minimizing harm to people and the environment.  

Through this project, we are also working with key international and local partners to help ASM cooperatives and traders identify and mitigate critical supply chain risks, as well as link them to responsible and legitimate international gold buyers.