NEWSLETTER

July - August 2025 / Volume 2

We are pleased to present the second edition of our newsletter. In this issue, we highlight progress, including the water management tool in Salta and the construction of a roadmap for responsible mining in Colombia. We also review the progress of our training sessions in Peru, the advances in strengthening trust and dialogue with mining associations in the region, and our new partnership with the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) to promote more responsible and sustainable mining.

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Salta, Argentina

Key Agreements for Water Management in Sustainable Lithium Production

As part of the MARS Program, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is implementing a project focused on responsible lithium production in the Andean Altiplano. Since 2024, its activities have been centered in the endorheic basin of the Salar de Pastos Grandes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.

The purpose of this project is to collaboratively develop a comprehensive analytical tool for water management with the authorities, the mining sector, and the local community.

This tool will analyze and represent the hydrological conditions of the basin and the use of its water resources. This information will help the community, authorities, and the mining company negotiate and make decisions about lithium production.

In July 2025, SEI signed a participation agreement with the Santa Rosa de los Pastos Grandes community, adding to a previous agreement with the company Lithium Americas.

Thanks to these agreements, we can continue to advance the collaborative development of the analytical tool. To ensure its quality and rigor, SEI also formalized an agreement this month with the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. The agreement will allow for the integration of Argentine academics into a Council of Experts, which is key to supporting the development of the tool and the successful implementation of the project.

Signing of the Expert Council agreement. Santa Rosa community in Pastos Grandes & Salar de Pastos Grandes Basin, Argentina. Source: SEI

Colombia

Towards a Common Understanding of Responsible Gold and Copper Mining in Colombia

Formal Small-Scale Gold Mining
On July 28, a visit was made to the lquira Agromining Cooperative in southern Colombia, internationally recognized for its responsible mining practices. The objective was to facilitate an exchange of experiences with its members.

Small-scale miners from different regions of the country and representatives from the cooperative participated in the event. The meeting, facilitated by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), was also attended by leaders from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( SIDA), the Chamber of Small-Scale Mining (ACM), the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the National Mining Agency (ANM).

During the visit, key bottlenecks and opportunities for the sector were identified. Among the most highlighted aspects were the importance of building trust to facilitate access to investment capital, the diversification of the local economy, and the need to develop a regulatory and governance framework tailored to the unique characteristics of the region.

The results of this visit will be included in the recommendations of the characterization study, which will be published at the end of 2025. The project will continue to work on creating favorable environments for the development of formal small-scale mining in Colombia. 

 

Responsible Copper Mining
As part of our work on responsible copper mining, we participated in several exchange forums. These included the “Mining Transitions: Responsible Entries and Exits” forum, co-organized in Bogota on August 6, 2025, with CREER, the Colombian Mining Association (ACM), and MARS, and supported by the Ford Foundation; and our participation in the “ACM National Mining Congress,” held on August 28 and 29, 2025, in Cartagena.

 
These meetings provide relevant information for the baseline study being developed by the project, helping to deepen our understanding of this mining sector in the current context. The study’s results will guide the dialogue and training actions necessary to facilitate the construction of a shared vision among stakeholders to make responsible and purposeful copper mining a reality.

Field visit. lquira mines, Huila, Colombia. Source: ARM. Central square, municipality of lquira, Huila, Colombia. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

“It is necessary to enhance the mining and productive vocation that has always been present by tradition in the communities and territories”

Representative of Coomisanjuan, Itsmina, Chocó,
Colombia

Chumbivilcas, Peru

Territory in Dialogue: Capacities for Sustainable Development in Peru

On May 27th, Bogotá hosted the launch of the MARS Program in Colombia: ‘Advancing Towards More Responsible and Sustainable Mining.’ This event brought together leaders from the public and private sectors, the scientific community, and civil society to foster constructive dialogue around more responsible and sustainable mining.

The day provided an opportunity to reflect on the strategic role of mining in the global energy transition, especially in Latin America. The imperative need to anticipate its potential impacts was highlighted, ensuring inclusion, effective governance, and lasting benefits for communities. At MARS, we are convinced that dialogue and collaboration among the business, public, and social sectors are the path to building solutions to the social, environmental, and governance challenges facing transition mining in Latin America, which generate positive changes and concrete benefits for everyone. On this occasion, we want to highlight some significant events that drive us to continue this path hand-in-hand with our allies and stakeholders, for mining with purpose in Latin America. ‘

International experts from Sweden and Peru set the tone for the discussion at the event, demonstrating that sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness are compatible objectives. 

Following the high-level dialogue, two multistakeholder working groups were held, focusing on small-scale gold mining and copper development. They analyzed crucial challenges and opportunities for the sector’s future, such as formalization, interinstitutional coordination, traceability, and the implementation of sustainability standards adapted to the local context.

The success of this event marks a milestone for the MARS Program in Colombia, by providing essential input for the consolidation of its ‘Laying the Foundations’ phase, which is nearing completion. This event also opens the opportunity to continue promoting technical exchange with national and international experts and allies on formal small-scale gold mining and the development of responsible copper mining.

Organisational Development

Strengthening Ties and Practices Through Dialogue Between Latin American Mining Associations

In this period, we advanced our initiative to promote peer-to-peer exchanges of experiences and visions, along with training sessions and other activities. Collectively, these are designed to strengthen the region’s competitiveness and position by raising the mining industry’s standards for Responsible Business Conduct.
The first session in this series featured Carlos Urenda, CEO of the Chilean Mining Council, who shared his organization’s maturity journey, highlighting both their achievements and the challenges they faced. In the second session, Carolina Gutierrez, Sustainability Director of the Colombian Mining Association (ACM), used a conversational format to discuss the origins and key aspects of promoting the TSM mining standard among their member companies. In her presentation, she emphasized the valuable support received from the Argentine Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs ( CAEM), one of the pioneering associations in the region to drive this framework.
These meetings have fostered the trust and rapport necessary to share lessons and strengths, inspiring and facilitating committed progress among the participants. It is a path that not only strengthens ties between organizations and countries but also promotes an upward leveling of responsible business practices across the region

“‘There’s a lack of promoting dialogue among stakeholders (…) There is an absence of consensus-building, dialogue, and negotiation to reach a mutual benefit. We need to bring in more stakeholders to start this debate and continue building consensus”

Representative of Civil Society during a workshop in Chumbivilcas.
Peru

Empowerment workshop in Chumbivilcas, Cusco, Peru. Source: MARS.

Chumbivilcas, Peru

Territory in Dialogue: Capacities for Sustainable Development in Peru

From August 23 to 26, the first phase of the training program “Territory in Dialogue: Capacities for Sustainable Development in Chumbivilcas, Santo Tomas District in Cusco” kicked off.
The purpose of this exchange is to strengthen the ability of private companies, communities, and local authorities to participate in decision-making. It aims to promote a sustainable development approach and create opportunities for collaboration among the diverse groups operating in the region.

In the workshops, topics such as governance, dialogue, and communication were discussed. Common concerns were identified, including water pollution, the expansion of artisanal mining, a lack of institutional coordination, and the need for dialogue spaces to manage conflicts. 

The upcoming training sessions will foster reflection and the exchange of ideas to build a shared vision for the sustainable development of Chumbivilcas. The information gathered will be used to design dialogue spaces and plan the next stages of the project. 

Partnership

MARS Partners with GRI (Global Reporting Initative) on Strategic Cooperation

Transparency and traceability are pillars of Responsible Business Conduct and the due diligence process that MARS promotes in the region.


In this way, we announce our collaboration with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a benchmark for reporting standards in Latin America, which promotes greater transparency and accountability in the regional mining sector.

This alliance provides key information on the market signals that are shaping the responsible business conduct agenda in the Latin American mining industry. At the same time, it enriches our program with practical tools and training courses for the most influential actors in the mining value chain-from investors to the parent companies of firms operating in the region-helping to raise standards of transparency and traceability in the sector.
The next major milestone for this collaboration will be to harmonize the training offerings for the private sector-including mining associations, large companies, and especially small-scale mining -and to design a comprehensive strategy to effectively address the downstream mining value chain.

Partners

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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.