1. AN INITIATIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RESPONSIBLE MINING
STANDARD ZERO FOR FAIRTRADE ARTISANAL GOLD AND PRECIOUS METALS BY-PRODUCTS
AN INITIATIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RESPONSIBLE MINING
Cristina Echavarría
Ervin Renteria
Antsirabe, Madagascar November 10th, 2006

2. Emerged from the opportunity created by the Certified Green Gold Programme in Colombia
As an international and multi-institutional organisation to bring credibility, transparency and legitimacy to the development of a framework for responsible production and trading of minerals, applicable to ASM
It proposes to work in partnership with organised ASM, committed practitioners and support organisations, governments and international cooperation
In response to consumer demand for ethical and clean minerals, whose production demonstrably contributes to poverty reduction
To take advantage of fair trade and green markets as incentives for improved social and environmental performance of ASM
ARM proposes a process through which key stakeholders can reach agreements to define universal standards and criteria for the certification of responsible and environmentally friendly community mining practices

3. ARM’s goal is to improve equity, well being and quality of life in mining communities through the implementation of economic incentives that induce more responsible mining practices in terms of the social, economic, labour and environmental performance of ASM
Driven by increasing consumer awareness regarding the potential that buying jewels certified with green or fair trade labels, can have to reduce poverty and promote restoration practices in ecosystems inhabited by ASM communities.

4. RESPOMIN is the Latin American partnership of miner’s organisations, academics, NGO’s, officials and consultants, committed to transforming ASM. It is coordinated by ARM
It is producing a frame of reference for social and environmental responsibility applicable to ASM
And it is consolidating regional multi-stakeholder partnerships for the implementation of fair trade and credit schemes for responsible and organised ASM.

5. QUIRAMA VISION
ASM is a formalized, organized and profitable activity, that uses efficient technologies and is socially and environmentally responsible;
it progressively develops within a framework of good governance, legality, participation and respect for diversity;
it increases its contribution to the generation of decent work, local development, poverty reduction and social peace in our nations,
stimulated by a growing consumer demand for sustainable minerals and jewellery

6. WHY FAIR TRADE? Exclusive label for small scale producers
Involves improvement through a process: minimum and progressive requirements
Based on long term partnerships between producers and traders-jewellers
Includes pre-financing schemes that allow for long term business planning to achieve sustainable production by the business unit
It is an integrated approach addressing social, economic, labour and environmental challenges, that also includes traders and jewellers
Between 2004 and 2005 the global Fair trade market increased by 37%

7. PROCESS TO DEVELOP STANDARD ZERO
February 2006: ARM forms the technical committee
February-May 2006: Building on the generic standards for producers the committee adapt them to ASM
May-July 2006: Quirama meeting, the committee finalises the draft standards
August-January 2007: Public consultation at local, national, regional y global meetings and via Internet
End January 2007: Technical committee to incorporate comments from public consultations
November-March 2007: scoping studies and visits to identify potential pilot sites and teams in Africa and Asia.

8. PROCESS TO DEVELOP STANDARD ZERO
: standard zero to be pilot tested at some 8 sites in Latin America, Africa and Asia, if possible
Pilots to be based on existing partnerships between organised miners and a support organisation – they involve hands on learning and evaluative research
ARM and technical committee to follow up and support the network of pilot projects globally
Exchange of experiences within and between continents will be reinforced with a view to enabling the formation of miner’s organisations
2009: Technical committee to incorporate lessons from pilot testing to produce standard one for fair trade artisanal gold and precious metals by-products
2009: Pilot sites that comply with the minimum standards will receive certification

9. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Catalina Cock – Corporation Oro Verde de Colombia
Cesar Mosquera - IPEC-ILO, Ecuador (
Cristina Echavarria – Association for Responsible Mining, ARM –
Felix Hruschka - GAMA Project, Peru. –
Gabriela Factor – Independent environmental and gender expert, Argentina.
Gommert Mes – Independent expert on group certification for small scale producers for FSC. Costa Rica/Netherlands –
Greg Valerio - CRED Foundation, UK
Harriet Lamb / Gelkha Buitrago –FairtradeFoundation, UK. / International Fairtrade Labelling Organisations FLO, Bonn/ ww.faitrade.net . and
Hermann Wotruba – University of Aachen, Germany. -
Kevin D’Souza – CASM Africa/Wardell-Armstrong ( –
Marcello Veiga – Global Mercury Project -GMP, Canada/Brasil (
Patrick Schein - S&P Trading, France –
Victor Manuel Reinoso – President AMASUC Regional Association of Artisanal Miners of the South and Central Peru –
ASM representative from Africa. T.B.C.

10. The Voice of Organised Miners
Bottom up approach
Authentic participation of miners at leadership and decision making levels
ARM’s role in strengthening the miner’s organisations at national and regional level