IMPACT is pleased to present our newly released 2017 Annual Report, Pushing Boundaries!

In 2017, we challenged ourselves and others to be bold and embrace thinking outside of the box to contribute to lasting change. We collaborated with new stakeholders and partners, welcomed new research and technology that shaped our understanding of how natural resources can affect communities and supply chains, and critically evaluated the lessons we’ve learned from tested approaches.

We’re excited to share with you highlights from our work from the past year to transform natural resource management in areas where security and human rights are at risk.

A few milestones from 2017:

  • In January, we released a report investigating challenges with the governance of artisanal gold mining in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso—and the role that taxes play in increasing illicit trade in West Africa.
  • In March, we launched the AFECCOR project to support women and men in Democratic Republic of Congo’s artisanal gold mining communities to access savings and credit in an effort to promote entrepreneurship and economic security. By the end of the year, members began contributing to the over 50 Village and Savings Associations that had been formed.
  • In June, Toronto-based Fair Trade Jewellery Co. purchased the first traceable, legal, and conflict-free artisanal gold from a legal exporter Democratic Republic of Congo participating in our Just Gold project. The milestone marked the first gold made into responsible jewellery traceable back to the mine sites in Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • In November, we held a series of workshops in Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC to present findings and recommendations from three years of research on women in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Women miners and community members directly addressed their policymakers, calling for reforms to support gender equality in the sector.
  • In December, we announced our withdrawal from the Kimberley Process at the Plenary in Australia. After an extensive evaluation, we determined that the internal controls governments conform to under the Kimberley Process, do not provide the evidence of traceability and due diligence needed to ensure a clean, conflict-free, and legal diamond supply chain.

We’re delighted to share all of this and more with you in our 2017 Annual Report. We invite you to read it here, and share with your network.