Research Program: Natural Resources
Voix du Congo: Analysis of incidents in 3TG supply chains in Walungu and Kabare, South-Kivu, DRC
February 2, 2021Since November 2018, International Peace Information Service (IPIS) has been implementing the “Kufatilia” project which aims at strengthening transparency in the monitoring of incidents related to artisanal mining. In addition to monitoring incidents, CRESA also provided incident reporting and mitigation at artisanal mining sites on the periphery of targeted supply chains, with the assistance of o
The Impact of Covid-19 on artisanal mining in Western Central African Republic
January 21, 2021To assess the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in Western Central African Republic (CAR), IPIS conducted a series of phone surveys with key informants located on 260 gold and diamond mining sites. The Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly harsh on the artisanal mining sector in Western CAR, emphasizing existing trends since the 2
Voix du Congo: Monitoring Incidents in Artisanal Supply Chains in the Rubaya Mining Zone, Masisi Territory, North Kivu
December 15, 2020In the “Voix du Congo” series, Pole Institute presents a study on incidents in artisanal supply chains in the Rubaya mining area, Masisi territory in North Kivu province (DRC). This study focuses on incidents reported between September and June 2020 via the “Kufatilia” platform in the Rubaya Mining Zone, Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province.
Kufatilia – Towards a more responsible gold supply chain in eastern DRC
December 10, 2020Artisanal and small-scale gold is widely used in the electronics industry. But gold is also the predominant conflict mineral in eastern Congo, where it is illegally traded to fund armed actors. Artisanal gold is difficult to trace, and because of its volume it can be easily smuggled. Few gold mines in eastern Congo are officially qualified, and traceability initiatives for gold remain largely expl
The impact of diamond mining on local communities in Africa. Field research results of KP CSC members.
November 19, 2020KP Civil Society member organisations between May and August 2020 carried out research projects in their home countries on one of three areas of focus, namely benefits of diamond mining to local communities (CECIDE/AMINES, GAERN, NMJD, CNRG, Green Advocates, CENADEP), violence caused by diamond mining (ZELA, RELUFA) and land rights (MCDF). All participants in these national research projects faced
The mining sector in Tanzania, Delve Country Profile
November 19, 2020In partnership with Delve, IPIS produced a profile of the ASM sector in Tanzania. The Country Profile compiles information on the mining governance framework, provides data on key ASM minerals and analyses the contribution of artisanal mining to the SDGs.
Supporting mining cooperatives in Beni
November 9, 2020The population of Beni Territory has been victim of deadly violence since 2014, following the presence of national and foreign armed groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebellion and Mai Mai groups. The stabilisation project ‘Ensemble pour Beni’ aims to address insecurity and promote stability in the territory through a variety of initiatives, including a pillar focusing on ‘relaunch
The mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Delve Country Profile
November 5, 2020In partnership with Delve, IPIS produced a profile of the ASM sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Country Profile compiles information on the mining governance framework, provides data on key ASM minerals and analyses the contribution of artisanal mining to the SDGs.
Transparent, independent and participatory: How can a platform support a network of CSO in Congo?
November 3, 2020On the occasion of the 2020 GeONG Forum, IPIS presented its project Kufatilia. In a video, IPIS explained how this phone-based participatory platform helps Congolese CSOs reporting and monitoring incidents in the mineral supply chains.
L’exploitation minière artisanale à Beni-Mbau : Etat des lieux et cartographie des sites miniers
October 30, 2020In the framework of the stabilisation project “Ensemble pour Beni”, IOM, IPIS, ASSODIP and ASADHO carried out a baseline assessment of the artisanal mining sector in the Beni territory. This report provides an overview of the sector and analyses opportunities to promote responsible mineral supply chains.
The impact of Covid-19 on artisanal mines in western CAR
October 16, 2020To assess the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the artisanal and small-scale sector in the Central African Republic, IPIS conducted a series of phone interviews targeting key informants to collect information on minerals production, prices and illegal taxation on gold and diamond artisanal mining sites in western CAR.
The impact of Covid-19 on the artisanal mining sector in eastern DRC
October 14, 2020As Covid-19 spreads around the world, artisanal mining communities experience once more how much their livelihoods depend on the global economy. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, IPIS has closely monitored its impact on 3T, gold and diamond mining and trade in the DRC.
IPIS Open Data dashboard on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in eastern DRC
October 8, 2020The IPIS Open Data dashboard on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) enables users to query and subset IPIS Open Data using various combinations of filters. The dashboard was designed to complement the IPIS Webmap of DRC.
Story Map of ASM Sites in the DRC
October 6, 2020Explore IPIS’ eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) webmap with a guided narrative. In its new story map, IPIS presents data gathered on eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector and highlights key information from its reports investigating the interactions between natural resources and conflict dynamics in the region.
Matokeo – Impact Monitoring for the ASM Sector
October 5, 2020Matokeo (impact in Swahili) is a mobile-based technology solution to help monitor social, environmental and human rights hotspots in Eastern Congo and create more cost-effective and miner-centric monitoring systems. Dates: 2020 – Location(s): DRC Research Programme(s): Natural Resources Funder(s): Conservation X Labs’ ASM Grand Challenge Partner(s): Ulula Activities: Phone-Based Data Collection De
IPIS’ project Matokeo among the winners of the ASM Grand Challenge
October 2, 2020On October 1st, IPIS and its partner Ulula were awarded a $118,000 price for their project “Matokeo” during the ASM Grand Challenge Award Ceremony.
IPIS’ successful handover of the Regional Mineral Database to ICGLR
September 29, 2020IPIS finalised the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Regional Database on Mineral Flow and successfully handed it over to the organisation. Once operational, this web-based database will be gathering and updating data on mine sites, chain of custody, and exporters.
IPIS on BNNR’s Training Day: “Natural Resources: Stakes, Consequences, Alternatives”
September 18, 2020On Saturday, October 3rd 2020, the Belgian Natural Resources Network (BNNR) will welcome you for a day of training on the stakes of natural resources, the consequences of their exploitation and the alternatives to be built.
Kufatilia leaflet
September 17, 2020IPIS supports an independent, transparent and participatory platform for incident reporting and community empowerment in responsible sourcing in the eastern DRC artisanal mining sector. Discover what Kufatilia is all about.
Impact of COVID-19 on ASM Communities
September 3, 2020Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, IPIS closely monitors the impact of the pandemic on 3T+G mines and national supply chains in Tanzania, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the DR Congo. Through structured quantitative and qualitative data collection, IPIS measures the impact on a large amount of mining sites.IPIS is working through its long-established network of local surveyors who