Cristina EchavarríaCristina Echavarría
Executive DirectorExecutive Director
FAIRTRADE WORKSHOP
8th CASM ANNUAL CONFERENCE
BRASILIA, 2008
STANDARD ZERO FOR FAIRTRADE ARTISANAL GOLD AND ASSOCIATED SILVER AND PLATINUM
SOCIAL , ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, LABOUR AND TRADING REQUIREMENTS:
Main challenges for miners
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Fairtrade adds
development potential Members of the
Organisations are Community Based Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASM)
Democracy, Participation and Transparency
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Members of the Organisations are Community Based Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASM)
This Fair Trade initiative is directed at community based artisanal and small scale miners’ organisations including all possible forms of organisations that they constitute. A community based mining organisation is comprised of a majority of members or shareholders who are active miners, and as members of the local community contribute to its social and economic development. It also includes small entrepreneurs with contracted workers.
MINIMUM
A 100% of the volume of Fair Trade certified gold must be produced by community based artisanal and small scale miners. The association is not allowed to buy from non certified neighbouring miners.
CHALLENGE Incorporating neighbours and
family in a transparent and traceable manner.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Fair Trade should make a difference in development and quality of life for artisanal and small scale mining communities
MINIMUM
The miners’ organisation can demonstrate that Fair Trade revenues will promote social and economic development of artisanal and small scale miners, families and communities.
Taxes, fees, royalties or other tributes as required by applicable legislation should be paid to the relevant authority by the miners’ organisation.
The mining operations are conducted with the agreement of the existing local communities.
PROGRESS
A monitored plan should be developed under which the benefits of Fair Trade are shared, based on democratic and inclusive decisions taken by the miners’ organisation.
Miners’ organisations play an active role in planning and promoting local sustainable development including
economic diversification.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTDemocracy, Participation and Transparency
The organisation must be an instrument for the social and economic development of the members, their families and the local community, while in particular the benefits of Fair Trade must come to the members. The organisation must therefore have a democratic structure and transparent administration, which enables an effective control by the members and it’s Board over the management, including the decisions about how the benefits are shared. Furthermore, there must be no discrimination regarding membership and participation..
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTDemocracy, Participation and Transparency
PROGRESS
The organisation works towards transparent planning of the business.
The organisations are encouraged to make periodic business plans, annual cash flow predictions and longer term strategic plans. Such plans will be approved at the Annual General Meeting
MINIMUM
A legal, transparent and democratic organisational structure is in place
The annual report and accounts are presented in an understandable and clear manner for all, approved at the Annual General Meeting, and made publicly available.
Adequate administration is in place.
MAIN CHALLENGESSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT The right to be legal
Getting organised
Developing democratic
governance
Literacy and numeracy
Getting women miners in
the picture
Transparency and
accountability of
organisations
Political incidence
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Trading Capacity
Fairtrade premium
Economic strengthening
of the organisation
Improved Productivity
and Economic
Efficiency of ASM
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT : The organisation must have access to the logistical, administrative and technical means to bring a quality product to the market. The organisation makes a commitment to the adequate and planned use of the Fairtrade Premium, to gradually strengthen its economy.
PROGRESS The miners’ organisation
increases efficiency in its trading operations
As soon as Premium is available, there must be a yearly Premium plan and budget in place.
The organisation will work towards the strengthening of its business related operations. This could for example be through the building up of working capital, etc.
MINIMUM Logistics and communication
equipment are in place
The use of the Fair Trade
Premium is decided though
democratic processes,
approved at the Annual
General Meeting and properly
documented.
The organisation has an
established accounting system
in place.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTImproved Productivity and Economic Efficiency of ASM
Miners’ organisations identify optimal mining and metallurgical technologies to improve their level of mineral recovery.
Miners invest in cleaner and more efficient technologies to improve the level of mineral recovery.
Women miners and minority groups have equal access to mineral resources and technological innovation within the organisation
By-products of the mining process are identified and their market potential is investigated, and if feasible, they will be developed too.
MAIN CHALLENGESECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Strengthening administrative capabilities: strategic planning, risk management, accounting and democratic governance practices
Capacity to develop an annual plan for the use of the premium- long term shared vision.
Developing economies of scale and exporting directly
Access to credit and pre-financing for purchase of Au and cleaner technology
Value added….??
Getting banks to work with them
Getting governments to work with them
Getting professionals to work with them - where is the academia?
Digital divide - ICT’s Security issues for
transport of valuables ARM’s toolkits : quality
control system / traceability and cost of production toolkits
LABOUR DEVELOPMENTThe proposed requirements are based on the concept of decent labour proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Prohibition of any Kind of Forced Labour
Elimination of Discrimination against Women Miners and Disadvantaged Groups
Abolition of Child Labour
Health and Safety Conditions in the Workplace
Social Protection (Social Security Systems)
Additional criteria for miner organisations that employ a significant number of workers
LABOUR DEVELOPMENTElimination of Discrimination against Women Miners and Disadvantaged Groups
MINIMUM The organisation will recognise
the same opportunities to men, women, and disadvantaged individuals regardless of their provenance or origin in all areas of mining activity, as a worker, associate or entrepreneur.
The organisation will ensure that men and women receive the same pay for the same task or function.
Where there is gender, ethnic or other disparity there should be at least proportional representation of these minorities in decision making bodies.
PROGRESS Actions will be implemented by
the miners’ organisation with women and other disadvantaged groups and individuals to improve their opportunities for participating on equal terms, especially regarding the mining/ processing work and the management of the ASM producer organisation
Miners’ organisations provide support to pregnant and lactating women members to have safe work arrangements for themselves and for their infants while mothers are at work.
LABOUR DEVELOPMENT Abolition of child labour
MINIMUM The minimum age is eighteen years
for all types of employment or labour that by its nature or working conditions may be dangerous for health, security or morality of the minors.
Minors who participate in mining through family work should not execute tasks that are especially dangerous for them, such as subsoil and underwater activities, heavy loads, the use of toxic substances and night time shifts, or shifts prior to school schedule.
In no case will working endanger the schooling and the social, moral or physical development of the minor.
PROGRESS The complete elimination of all
forms of un- allowed child work or labour in ASM will be part of the vision and forms part of the development plans of the organisation and the mining community.
The miners’ organisation undertakes actions directed at achieving the improvement of local services for education, recreation and care of small children while the mother works, occupational training and youth employment / apprenticeship.
LABOUR DEVELOPMENT - MINIMUM Health and Safety Conditions in the Workplace The miners’ organisation will
ensure that all its workers have access to information and basic training on health and safety in mining, its main risks and hazards, and how to prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies.
The miners’ organisation ensures that all workers use basic equipment for personal protection, in accordance to the nature of the mine, the work to be done and the place.
The miners’ organisation has a clear and defined policy and process to deal with violence and sexual harassment at work.
The miners’ organisation has a committee in charge of taking decisions and implementing actions in health and safety in the workplace.
The miners’ organisation will work towards making a diagnosis of the main risks and vulnerabilities to accidents and to disasters in the community because of mining activity
Each organisation will be in charge of designing and implementing a mining rescue plan and first aid program depending on the kind of mining activity it develops
LABOUR DEVELOPMENT Social Protection (social security)
MINIMUM The organisation will recognise
that the worker’s widow/widower has the right to occupy the position and prerogatives held by the deceased miner in the mine and in the organisation, with the object of preventing her/his abandonment and that of her/his family.
PROGRESS The organisation will make
efforts to ensure that all associates and mine workers benefit from some kind of social security
FOR CONTRACTED LABOUR The organisation recognises
the right of all paid workers to join an independent union free from the interference of the employer, the right to establish and belong to federations, and the right to collective bargaining.
Miner’s representation and participation improve as a result of training activities. These will also be directed at improving the knowledge of the miner’s about the principles that guide Fair Trade.
MAIN CHALLENGESLABOUR DEVELOPMENT
Women’s rights
Child labour
AIDS orphans dilemma
Perception of risk
Informal work
arrangements
Mining rescue and
equipment cost
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT: Seeks to minimise the use of mercury and cyanide through implementation of responsible practices and technologies to mitigate impact on the environment and human health. Ecological restoration is also key.
Management of Toxic
Substances, Such as
Mercury and Cyanide
Ecosystem Health and
Ecological Restoration
Premium Ecological FT
ASM Gold
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
Management of toxic substancesPROGRESS
The use of retorts or
alternative mercury recovery
devices by members of the
miner’s organisation is to be
considered a minimum
requirement for continued
certification after the first year.
The cyanide processing plant
must be operated by personnel
trained in the safe and proper
use of cyanide.
MINIMUM Amalgamation burning must not
take place in domestic residences.
Amalgamation tailings and cyanide waste solutions must not be discharged into water, or where they can reach the water bodies.
Nitric acid for dissolving mercury from the amalgamation should not be used
Any residual cyanide solution must be neutralized before responsible discharge
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT Ecosystem Health and Ecological Restoration
Certified miners promote minimum environmental impacts within the region where they operate.
If the mining operation of the organisation is located in a national park or similar environmentally protected area, an explicit authorization of the relevant authority must certify environmental feasibility.
Fuel residues and their containers must not be dumped into water bodies
The introduction of any technological change should be accompanied by an environmental mitigation plan.
In case of alluvial deposits, the organisation demonstrates efforts to reduce discharge of suspended solids into water bodies, and if possible to recycle water from washing plants.
Measures should be taken to enable native ecosystem rehabilitation.
The miners’ organisation makes efforts towards the improvement of drinking water supply and quality.
Green Premium FT ASM Gold No mercury or cyanide must be
used for mineral processing. The mined areas gain ecological
stability within three years, or the optimal time according to ecosystem characteristics.
Tailings and pooling do not exceed the local ecosystem capacity for rehabilitation
Topsoil removed from the site is replaced during the rehabilitation process.
The silt load into stream, river or lake systems is controlled in quantity and frequency, such that the native aquatic ecosystem is not disrupted.
MAIN CHALLENGES
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS Access to clean technologies
and efficient processing - knowledge!
How can we process gold without mercury..show us!
Technological solutions to separate the Hg and Cn circuits
Tailings management Technology for ASM is not easily
available Access to credit to improve
efficiency of operations and get cleaner technologies
Where are the universities?
TRADING STANDARDS
Buying from Certified miners
Pricing and Premium
Long Term Trading
Relationship
Pre-Finance
Quality Definition and Claims
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