Better Mining has an established presence in Rwanda to implement its Upstream Assurance Mechanism on 25 ASM mine sites, 16 of which were active during the reporting period. In the Rwandan implementation context, Better Mining has maintained a good working relationship with the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Mining Board (RMB), both at capital level and in the Rwandan subregions where the ASM mines are located.

Better Mining is contributing significantly to the Rwandan Government’s efforts to improve ASM sector governance and to formalise the Rwanda ASM sector.

During the reporting period, Better Mining has validated 25 3T shipments digitally traced from Better Mining monitored ASM mines in Rwanda. An important aspect of this process is fulfilling Government requirements in regularly sharing with the Government of Rwanda traceability reports from Rwandese ASM mines, produced by TRACE, RCS Global’s digital traceability system.

Collaborative, consistent, and constructive engagement with Government at the local and national levels serves as a fundamental part of delivering continuous improvement in the ASM sector. This is because the Government acts as a rule setter, regulator, and through its state services, also as a technical actor in the ASM sector.

The better-informed national Government is about realities in the ASM sector, the more adept it can be at regulating it. The better Government services can technically assist the sector, the more conditions in the sector are likely to improve. And it is continuous improvement of the conditions in the ASM sectors that is our common objective with Governments.

The better Government services can technically assist the sector, the more conditions in the sector are likely to improve. And it is continuous improvement of the conditions in the ASM sectors that is our common objective with Governments.

Child labour remains a persistent issue across ASM. In cobalt alone, it is estimated that as many as 35,000 of the DRC’s 255,000 artisanal cobalt miners are children1. This happens even though children younger than 18 years old are not even legally allowed to enter mining areas in the DRC. Extreme poverty in mining communities remains the number one reason for children to engage in such dangerous activities. The Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the child labour situation through school closures and additional economic hardship.

During the reporting period, Better Mining identified 240 cases, of which nearly 50% were classified as Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) across all monitored ASM sites. This shows that Better Mining risk identification and assessment works. Our approach doesn’t apply sticking plasters, we identify and track risks systematically to enable real solutions.