PROMINES Study - Artisanal Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This report is based on a contemporary view of artisanal mining and trading in the DRC. Three hundred and forty representatives of the artisanal mining community, mineral traders, government agents, civil society, development and security agencies, local and international NGOs, public security forces, and business operators took part in a comprehensive consultation process which included multi-stakeholder workshops, interviews and mine-site visits. The recommendations which were made in the consultation process were validated by key stakeholders. The report focuses on four provinces: Orientale, North Kivu, South Kivu and Katanga. The recommendations made in this report respond to the information and opinion gathered in the field in terms of the following objective: It is the objective of the artisanal mining component of PROMINES to improve the legal status, working practices, and economic return of artisanal mining in the DRC whilst establishing mechanisms to sustainably reduce its negative impacts on society, security and the environment. In the report, these recommendations are analyzed, grouped, and inserted into a time-bound plan which is integrated into the larger PROMINES project. Indicative activities, sites and partners are presented in terms of five pilot projects spread across the provinces and five global activities which will be coordinated at a national level as well as being integral to all the pilot projects.