Impact Project

RESPONSIBLE SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN COLOMBIA

In Colombia, small-scale gold mining is an important source of income for rural communities and local economies. However, many miners face challenges such as high compliance costs, limited access to technical support, weak institutional coordination, safety risks, and barriers to market access. Women and other underrepresented groups also face obstacles to participation. These challenges can affect the long-term stability and competitiveness of the sector.

The bigger picture

Towards a formalised gold mining sector in Colombia

Small-scale gold mining plays a major role in global gold supply and supports millions of livelihoods. Yet much of the sector operates outside formal systems. This means miners often lack access to legal markets, financial services, and environmental and labour protections.

Formalisation addresses this. It helps miners enter the legal economy. This creates better working conditions, improves environmental performance, and makes livelihoods more stable over time.

What we do

From fragmented efforts to joint solutions

Collaboration is the key enabler. It improves coordination, builds trust, and reduces risks and help align standards. Creating a practical pathway.

We bring actors together to build shared evidence, strengthen skills, and support dialogue.

Our  work connects small-scale miners, large-scale mining companies, authorities, academia, and community groups. This helps move from isolated actions to coordinated solutions.

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WHAT WE AIM FOR

A responsible and collaborative small-scale mining sector

The aim is to improve conditions for small-scale miners by strengthening capacities, leadership, and collaboration.

The process links miners to responsible standards and markets, and supports collaboration between small-scale and large-scale mining. This helps position formalisation as a practical and competitive pathway. 

WHAT This Means

  • For mining companies: Clearer links between sustainability and operations.
  • For public authorities: Better evidence for policy and coordination
  • For mining-affected communities: Stronger participation and more stable livelihoods.

  

3 Early Stage Results

Shared evidence informs future action

A baseline study provides a shared evidence base on the opportunities and challenges facing formal small-scale gold mining in Colombia. The process of developing the study also helped build a more practical understanding of the sector among stakeholders and informed discussions on future priorities.
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A joint agenda for responsible mining

Stakeholders identified shared priorities for collaboration, including associativity, safety, and stronger links between small-scale and large-scale mining. Discussions also explored how sustainability frameworks such as

Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) and the CRAFT Code can support greater alignment and collaboration across the sector. The baseline study and stakeholder dialogue helped enable these discussions.

A stronger network for collaboration

Government authorities, small-scale and large-scale mining companies, cooperatives, women’s organisations, academia, the ACM Small-Scale Mining Chamber, ARM, and WiM Colombia strengthened relationships and identified opportunities for continued collaboration. The process helped bring together actors that do not always work closely, creating a stronger foundation for joint action.

Project Timeline

June 2026 // Positioning Due Diligence as a Competitiveness Lever

Joining a MAPE Talks webinar with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) on responsible supply chains and market requirements for formal small-scale miners. A follow-up webinar in August, organised with Women in Mining Colombia and ARM, will focus on occupational safety and health from a gender perspective.

January–June 2026 // Moving into Advanced Capacity-Building

A second stage focusing on the CRAFT Code, mining sustainability, associative and business capacities, national visibility, gender-focused mentoring, and support for selected pilots.

December 2025 // Exchange at the Buriticá Gold Mine

A second territorial exchange deepened practical learning on collaboration between small- and large-scale mining actors, reinforcing the need for structured collaboration

November 2025 // Exchange Based on the Baseline Study Findings in Medellín

More than 40 representatives from government, companies, women’s organisations, academia, and small-scale mining actors discussed evidence, questions, and next steps for the process.

July 2025 // Field Visit to the Fair-mined process in Iquira, Huila, Colombia

This exchange focused on concrete practices in associativity, governance, environmental management, and market access among formal small-scale miners.

May 2025 // Launch with stakeholders

The formal small-scale gold mining proposal more visible, connected actors, and prepared the ground for capacity-building activities and later exchanges to facilitate collaborative pathways.

Gathering and starting the conversation in Bogotá. May 2025

2024 // Project initiated

Designed to support more responsible and sustainable formal small-scale gold mining in Colombia. The first stage focused on building interest and a common understanding among key actors on formal small-scale gold mining through a baseline study, partner engagement, introductory training, and evidence-based dialogue.

ReSources and Links

Report
Formal Small‑Scale Gold Mining in Colombia

The study La minería de pequeña escala formal de oro en Colombia provides new insights from our partner, the Alliance for Responsible Mining. The report calls for coordinated action to strengthen sustainability, market access and local development.

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Links

Implementing partner

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) supports implementation in Colombia, bringing technical expertise, territorial legitimacy, and direct links with formal small-scale gold miners. 

Additional partners

  • Colombian Mining Association (ACM)
  • Women in Mining Colombia (WiM Colombia)
  • Ministry of Mines and Energy
  • National Mining Agency (ANM),

Contact MARS staff at NIR

Henrik Hallgren Programme Director
Andres Hernandez Regional Program Manager
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This executive summary presents the findings from the study “Workplace Cooperation: Finding Practical Solutions in the Colombian Context,” conducted by the Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP). The study evaluates the added value of the Swedish Workplace Programme (SWP) dialogue and cooperation model within the Colombian labor market.

Throughout 2022, FIP dedicated efforts to thoroughly understand the SWP model, including its concept, foundations, implementation process, and contributions to the labor market. In 2023, FIP documented the experiences of three companies—SKF Latin Trade, Securitas, and Epiroc—that implemented the SWP model in practice. The study also included face-to-face workshops to gather feedback from various stakeholders including civil society, businesses, government, academia, and international cooperation. The findings suggest that the SWP model has the potential to strengthen labor relations, contribute to decent work, and resolve workplace conflicts in Colombia.

The case studies highlight the importance of collaboration between employers and workers to promote decent work and sustainable development in Colombia. They demonstrate that social dialogue facilitates worker participation in labor decision-making, enhances their representativeness, and promotes cooperation between employers and employees, thus improving labor relations and contributing to the well-being of both employees and companies.

The SWP model is particularly noted for improving workplace relationships and commitment to jointly finding solutions to challenges faced by workers and the company. It empowers workers, enhances leadership, and helps integrate business policies into daily practices, reducing the initial disconnect between management objectives and the day-to-day realities of workers. The study also highlights the model’s capacity to manage conflicts constructively, transforming the perception of conflict as an opportunity for improvement. Structured dialogues deepen understanding of the underlying causes of conflicts, fostering empathy and facilitating effective resolution. This promotes a culture of collaboration and a democratic approach to decision-making, building trust.

Additionally, the model is recognized for enabling workers to make decisions, identify challenges, and propose solutions that impact their well-being, and bridging gender gaps in the workplace. Its inclusive approach adapts to the unique needs and characteristics of each company, promoting a stronger and more diverse organizational culture. It also drives good work performance and productivity by involving workers in problem identification and resolution, as well as in implementing improvements and efficiently identifying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risks for companies.

The document identifies the SWP model’s added value in empowering direct interaction among labor stakeholders in Colombia, overcoming historical or cultural reservations, and contributing to the development of stronger labor relations and improved workplace environments in the country.

Challenges and opportunities of the model are also discussed. The study points out the importance of addressing value chain risks, particularly in a global context where corporate clients demand decent work processes and due diligence. It emphasizes the need to integrate SMEs into this process and use anchor companies as drivers of social dialogue throughout the value chain. The role of the state in social dialogue and the importance of highlighting the benefits of the model for adoption across various business sectors are discussed.

The opportunities of the model include raising awareness of human rights in the workplace in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP), to strengthen due diligence, manage risks, promote long-term sustainability, and improve organizational culture. The document also underscores the importance of involving workers in change processes, leveraging their insights for continuous improvement of processes, and fostering innovation opportunities. Lastly, it suggests replicating the model in value chains to address work environment risks and gender biases, involving suppliers and contractors, and integrating the model into corporate policies to strengthen existing programs and transform organizational culture towards resource efficiency and effective participation of employers and workers.