Story of Change
An innovative pathway for small-scale gold mining in Colombia

The Need for an innovative pathway

In Colombia, we support a more responsible and sustainable small-scale gold mining sector. The work brings together small-scale miners, mining companies, public authorities, and communities to address shared challenges and identify practical solutions. By strengthening collaboration, the initiative helps position formalisation as a pathway to stronger livelihoods, more responsible mining practices, and long-term local development.

This is unfolding in gold-mining territories that are vital to rural livelihoods and local economies, yet formal small-scale mining still needs greater visibility, trust and stability. High compliance costs limited technical capacity, weak institutional coordination, security risks, environmental management, traceability, and the inclusion of women and vulnerable populations remain key challenges.  

At the same time, this is a moment of opportunity. Colombia’s evolving formalisation efforts, policy frameworks, and experience in responsible sourcing create fertile ground for innovative solutions, long-term stakeholder engagement, and sustained collaboration. 

Table of Contents

Our Approach

Our approach is designed to move actors from fragmented understanding toward more coordinated, informed, and practical collective action. It follows a gradual pathway of change structured around progressive stages, also understood as intermediate objectives. By strengthening relationships and fostering evidence-based dialogue, the process will enable collaborative solutions for more responsible and sustainable gold value chains. 

The first stage during 2025, “creating the conditions for action by building interest and understanding about SSM challenges and opportunities,” creates shared evidence base and enables more meaningful dialogue among involved stakeholders. Building on this common ground, the second stage, “Capacity building to promote collective engagement toward responsible, sustainable, and competitive mining,” strengthens the ability of formal miners and stakeholders to apply responsible practices, standards such as CRAFT, and risk-informed approaches.  

The third stage, planned for 2026, “Promoting mining associativity among SSM as a path to good governance and sustainability,” is expected to consolidate stronger cooperative and miner networks. The fourth stage, “Fostering relationships among Small-Scale Miners and Large Gold Companies with a focus on territorial development and women miners’ leadership,” will translate these capacities into practical collaboration for sustainability, business improvement, and inclusion. 

Training in Buritica, 2025

Progress & Results

The programme’s first stage has helped create the conditions for action around formal small-scale gold mining. Conversations that were previously limited are now more informed and constructive, supported by clearer evidence and focused on practical issues such as formalisation, traceability, and due diligence. These efforts are also helping build the trust needed for more coordinated action. 

In the Colombian context, formal small-scale gold mining has remained largely invisible in policy and public debate, with very limited specialised information available. To help fill this gap, MARS, through its implementing partner ARM, promoted an initial assessment to provide a common reference point, gain a deeper understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities, and guide a more informed discussion among relevant stakeholders. 

The presentation of the study’s findings in Medellín brought together 40 stakeholder representatives, 65% of whom were women. Participants included government authorities, mining companies, women’s organisations, MAP (Most Affected Populations) representatives, academia, and other key small-scale mining actors. In parallel, this activity was complemented by other territorial exchanges and capacity-building actions, including the Women in Mining training programme on Supply Chain and Risk Management, which trained 18 women, and webinars on formalisation, RBC, due diligence, and traceability, which reached more than 476 participants. 

Together, these activities contributed to two early results. First, they helped raise awareness of the need to promote women’s leadership and participation in governance and decision-making spaces within Colombia’s gold mining sector, which has traditionally been shaped mainly by men in technical and institutional representative roles. Second, they helped move the process from general concerns to the identification of priority areas for the next stage of capacity-building and collaboration, including associativity, safety, sustainability standards such as CRAFT, and collaboration and coexistence between large-scale and small-scale mining. 

To further develop these prioritised areas for strengthening, MARS has established a strategic partnership with the Colombian Mining Association’s (ACM) Small-Scale Mining Chamber. This partnership provides a legitimate and representative channel to engage directly with mining operators, while opening a space to examine how sustainability frameworks for large-scale mining, such as Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), can be better connected with the CRAFT Code as a practical reference for formal small-scale miners. It also positions the Chamber as a technically grounded partner to support capacity-building, advocacy, and stronger operational articulation between small- and large-scale mining. 

Formalization of a partnership between MARS the mining company Aris Mining, during the Roundtable for Development and Sustainability in Manizales, Caldas. This agreement is a important part of promoting responsible small-scale gold mining and the empowerment of women in mining territories, in coordination with local stakeholders.

In Short

  • In Colombia, formal small-scale gold mining is a long-standing community vocation with strong potential to support rural livelihoods and national development, yet it remains held back by high compliance costs, limited technical capacity, weak institutional coordination, and persistent environmental and traceability challenges.
  • A gradual relational shift was observed, as actors who rarely engaged began to see themselves as part of a shared conversation, supporting more constructive dialogue and opening space for stronger participation of women leaders

Lessons Learnt

  • Credibility, neutrality, and sustained engagement are essential to building trust, reducing concerns about duplication, and enabling collaboration among the stakeholders involved.
  • Shared evidence helps diverse actors align around a common agenda and move from general concerns to more practical discussions on formalisation, RBC, traceability, due diligence, and women’s participation.
  • Early international interest, including engagement from Business Sweden, points to emerging opportunities to connect formalisation and RBC efforts with technology, innovation, and future partnerships.
Contact MARS for more information
Henrik Hallgren Programme Director
Andres Hernandez Regional Program Manager
Our Partners
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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.