1. Reflections on the conference
7th Annual CASM Conference Effective Partnerships for Sustainable ASM Communities
Reflections on the conference
Ed O’Keefe
Synergy Global Consulting

2. Partnerships ASM and government
Expansion of policing role of government to creating an enabling environment, providing education and social protection
Peru – new legislation is working effectively
PNG – success of close link between ASM and land rights
LSM and ASM partnerships
Recognition by ICMM
Contracts between LSM and ASM in Philippines
LSM and government partnerships
Initiatives to support ASM e.g. legal reform, security in Ghana
Supply chain
Fair trade – partnership between groups along the supply chain
ASM-ASM
Sharing experiences within CASM, particularly new technologies
Two-way learning between ‘experts’ and practitioners in mercury
Between disciplines – engineers, businessmen, lawyers, social specialists, civil servants, consultants, NGOs, academics, etc

3. Partnerships
Growing consensus about the role of responsible and organised ASM in wider development and poverty reduction
Willingness to cooperate for mutual benefit
‘Live and let live’
Recognition of shared responsibilities
e.g. environmental protection
Realism about limits of partnerships
Gold price affects LSM tolerance of ASM in ‘marginal’ sites in Ghana
Challenges of engaging complex and shady supply chains
No ‘one size fits all’ solutions, e.g. technology solutions
Recognising different strengths and capacity
Recognising the validity of different perceptions of situations
Building trusting and understanding relationships takes time
Mercury management
Process is key
Recognition of the different rights and responsibilities
No rights – no responsibilities

4. Rights Right to employment Mongolian herders shifting to ASM
Includes right to run a business and right to collect taxes
Right to life and a healthy environment
safety and environmental issues
Right to a decent standard of living
freedom from want
Right to security
freedom from fear, protection against unemployment
Right to protection of the family, including motherhood and childhood
Right to education
Right to own property, including land and businesses
Right to participation in decision-making
Right to equality before the law, including equality for women

5. Responsibilities
Establish an enabling, equitable and supportive legal framework to protect rights
Opportunity in Mongolia
Ensuring the institutions, resources and political will to make this work
Protection of rights to own property
Legislation developed for LSM may not be equitable for ASM
Gender sensitive policies and legislation
Responsible operation in ways which do not abuse these rights
Protecting rights of women and children, e.g. ILO child labour work
Contracts between ASM and LSM coal miners in Philippines
Safe working environment
Good environmental management e.g. rehabilitation
Provision of services, including education, sharing information and technologies
Mercury – education is everything
Access to credit and markets
Solution to combined mercury and cyanide use may require micro-credit
Inclusive consultation and decision-making processes
Prior informed consent in PNG is successful
Supporting gender sensitive leadership and decision-making
Accountability and transparency
Dilemmas of balancing rights and responsibilities
Too strictly enforced legislation can marginalise people
Mechanisms for resolving disputes

6. Mongolia Active involvement of miners
Transition and harsh winter lead to recent emergence of ASM
Chance to share ideas and experiences with others
Importance of ASM in to vulnerable groups
Growing maturity of artisanal groups
Models of good practice being developed
Challenges of access to supply chain
Massive opportunity from legislation reform

7. CASM coming of age Core consensus and active debate
Recognition of ASM internationally
ICMM, G8, media coverage
Independence and growth of initiatives
Expansion of fair trade to other commodities and regions
Distilling our huge body of experience to share with others
ILO Health and Safety guidelines
Is the CASM conference outgrowing itself?
Balancing focus on practical action and international/strategic issues
Strengthening regional approaches
Growth of specialist groups and task forces
Extending linkages
Rapid development of LSM-ASM
Mainstreaming gender into other areas, e.g. technology
Sustainable supply chains
ASM and climate change – carbon footprints
Linking to other initiatives – e.g. ‘Green Buildings’
Links between ASM and agriculture and regional development
Integration of ASM with other policies and legislation

8. Making partnerships effective and sustainable
Defining the development outcomes of supporting ASM:
Supporting ASM as effective business
Supporting ASM as benefiting communities
Supporting ASM as a path out of poverty
Recognising the business case
Reduction of mercury is good business management
Use of cyanide and mercury is driven by need for quick cash
Are we ensuring financial sustainability of ASM businesses?
Responsible ASM supported by security of tenure – e.g. Goldfields
What forms of business model are appropriate e.g. cooperatives?
Clarifying the benefits to the community?
Who is the ‘community’ - miners, families, communities, ‘local’, national?
Clearly defined landowners in PNG
Supporting capacity and role of local government?
Monitoring the development impacts of ASM
How can transition out of ASM be supported?
Will ninjas return to herding?
transition seen as bad in Goldfields, good in Mongolia
PACT / CommDev work on alternative livelihoods in DRC