Artisanal Mining Project: Mongolia’s progress in ASM formalisation receive international praise

Press release, 24.06.2015

International artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) communities are impressed with the progress that has been made in the formalisation of Mongolia’s ASM sector in the past decade, so much so that Mongolia’s experiences are now regarded as achievements for their counterparts in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

ASM-knowledge-hub
International ASM experts share experiences at the ASM Symposuim, held on 10-11 June, in Ulaanbaatar. © SDC

“I’ve visited many artisanal and small-scale mining sites all over the world,” said international ASM expert Felix Hrushka.

“For the first time ever, I was given a security briefing on an ASM site. This happened during my recent trip to a site operated by XAMODX NGO in Bayankhongor province.”

International validation of Mongolia’s efforts in the ASM sector took place at the international ASM Knowledge Hub symposium on 10-11 June, 2015, in Ulaanbaatar, organised by the Ministry of Mining of Mongolia and Mineral Resource Authority of Mongolia in partnership with SDC’s Sustainable Artisanal Mining (SAM) Project.

More than 60 delegates from 18 countries representing small-scale miners, ASM civil society organisations, ASM and other development projects, governmental and non-governmental organizations, international ASM experts, academia and research institutions took part in the event.

Creation of Knowledge Hub

Based on the success of the formalisation of the ASM sector, Mongolia is taking an important role in establishing an international knowledge hub - a space for sharing and exchanging knowledge and feedback among national and international ASM communities and stakeholders. 

The SAM Project is supporting the establishment of a knowledge hub within international ASM communities, believing it is important for Mongolia’s ASM organisations to be linked to their global partners in order to help further develop the sector.

“I believe we achieved our goal of identifying the key and interested players in the future knowledge-sharing network. We wanted to see what Mongolia’s ASM organisations would offer the global ASM community and gain from their partners worldwide,” said SAM Project Director Patience Singo.

“We succeeded in bringing together some of the world’s leading experts in the artisanal mining sector, and we exchanged a great deal of best practices and lessons learnt.”

One of the major achievements within the ASM sector in Mongolia has been the cooperation between the artisanal and small-scale miners and large-scale mining companies which has resulted in safe and legal workspaces for miners.

“In 2007, I had the opportunity to visit Mongolia’s artisanal mining sites. Back then, it was illegal and quite chaotic, and there was no legal framework to regulate the sector,” said African Mineral Development Centre advisor Salvador Mondlane.

“But I’m quite impressed with the work that has been done in formalising the sector. Mongolian artisanal miners are now legally recognised. I congratulate the Mongolian Government and ASM communities for their incredible partnership.”

Press release, 11.11.2015

ULAANBAATAR —The World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) today launched a US$3 million project to boost social accountability in Mongolia in the next four years.

socia-accountability
SDC in partnership with the World Bank launched a project to support social accountability in Mongolia.

The Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia (MASAM) project seeks to support government efforts to increase transparency and accountability, and give impoverished communities a greater voice on issues affecting them.

“The project builds on years of innovating and experimenting on social accountability in Mongolia by citizens and government bodies, and follows last year’s Glass Account Law that we consider an enabling legal reform for transparency,” said James Anderson, the World Bank Mongolia Country Manager.

“Through MASAM, we hope to facilitate concerted action around institutionalizing social accountability at all levels.”

MASAM will focus on building skills and capacities of citizens and civil society groups in poor and vulnerable regions of Mongolia, and working with local governments to enable sustained outcomes throughout the project.

“We believe that civil society and citizens have an important role to play in strengthening the accountability of public officials, reducing corruption and improving public service delivery,” said Markus Waldvogel, Director of Cooperation of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

“This project will encourage citizens and civil society to exercise their rights to do so.”

The MASAM project will be implemented over four years in 10 aimags and districts of the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. It will benefit poor and marginalized groups by involving them in social accountability processes, empowering them to hold public officials accountable for improving the quality, access and delivery of services in their communities.

The participating aimags and districts will be selected according to poverty rates, health-related risks and access to education, as well as the commitment by local governments to implementation.

At the national policy level, the project will work with the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet Secretariat to institutionalize social accountability measures in formalized and sustainable ways.

Contacts:                    

Tina Puntsag + (976) 7007-8207, tpuntsag@worldbank.org

For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org/mongolia

Soyolmaa Dolgor + (976) 11- 341422, soyolmaa.dolgor@eda.admin.ch

For more information, please visit: www.eda.admin.ch/mongolia