Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Partnership Area

This presentation describes the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Partnership Area under the United Nations Environment Programme Global Mercury Partnership and outlines its objectives, activities and priorities. It sets a target of achieving a 50 per cent reduction in mercury use and emissions by 2017 and identifies four priority areas for pilot and demonstration projects. These include supporting governments in establishing national reduction targets, eliminating worst practices such as whole-ore amalgamation and mercury and cyanide combinations, promoting cleaner technologies and practices, and exploring market-based approaches, including premium gold standards. The document also details regional initiatives, awareness and training efforts, knowledge development, technical guidance, and the need for expanded financial support and partnership engagement.