Silence is Golden: A report on the Exploitation of Artisanal Gold Miners to Fund War, Terrorism and Organised Crime
The World Gold Council partnered with the Rt. Hon Dominic Raab to write a new report examining the systemic threats from the illicit trade of gold through artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). The Silence is Golden report finds the ASGM industry, responsible for an estimated 20% of annual gold supply and about 80% of gold mining employment, is being targeted by criminal gangs, armed groups and corrupt officials, presenting a real and present danger to international security.
The report notes the top fundamental challenges that plague ASGM are:
- The lack of transparency across businesses and governments for implementation and compliance with legal standards.
- Failures of accountability creating serious breaches of national law and international obligations, allowing criminals to operate freely.
- Criminals extracting enormous profits from serious human rights abuses, due to disconnected enforcement and compliance efforts across nations and international agencies.
In response, it outlines four strategic objectives with 24 practical actions for governments, international organisations, NGOs, mining companies and economic development organisations. These include prosecuting and disrupting criminal perpetrators and sustaining a coordinated and focused international effort across G7 and G20 countries to tackle these pervasive issues.
Watch: A Chatham House and World Gold Council Panel discussion on artisanal and small-scale gold mining
To mark the launch of Silence is Golden, we partnered with Chatham House in London, UK to host a panel discussion on addressing illegal gold mining. The conversation focussed on the expansion of illicit control and exploitation within ASGM, highlighting the pathways for governments and large-scale mining companies to drive meaningful change. You can watch the full panel discussion below, featuring a prestigious and expert group of commentators, including:
- Rt. Honourable Helen Clark (former Prime Minister of New Zealand)
- Marcena Hunter, Director of Extractives, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime
- Luca Maiotti, Policy Analyst, OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct
- Rt. Honourable Dominic Raab (former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
- Brad Brooks-Rubin, Partner at Arktouros PLLC (and former Senior Advisor on sanctions at the US state department)
- Ahmed, Soliman, Senior Research Fellow, Africa Programme at Chatham House
