Mercury Trade and Supply in ASGM in Colombia

This project and report sought to disseminate information about the risks of using mercury, as well as to identify the authorities’ responsibility to comply with international commitments such as the Minamata Convention. More specifically, the project aimed:

• To identify a community involved in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining-ASGM.
• To describe the social structure, composition, and gender of ASGM miners (men, women, children) at the project site.
• To identify the methods used to estimate the scale of ASGM activity in Colombia and at the project site.
• To describe the ASGM’s recent history in the project area.
• To identify the nature of the activities in the project area.
• To identify the factors promoting ASGM in the project area.
• To estimate the level of impact of mercury use on human health and the environment in ASGM in the project area.
• To describe how mercury is used in ASGM activities.

This project relates to Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, 8, 14 and 15.

Special thanks to IPEN's Latin America & Caribbean Regional Coordinator Fernando Bejarano and Regional Hub RAPAM for their important contributions to the development and finalization of the project.