ABSTRACT
Due to its international nature and the variety of social and environmental issues and interest involved, the mining sector has its own array of corporate responsibility initiatives. The Communities and Small-Scale Mining Initiative is an example of a multi-stakeholder and participatory dialogue process. In September 2009, CASM’s annual conference in Mozambique focused on the role that artisanal and small-scale mining can play in rural development and poverty alleviation. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is practised by people who live in the poorest and most remote rural areas around the world, people who normally have few livelihood alternatives. The presence of multinational companies with large-scale mining operations in traditional ASM areas also creates potential conflicts around issues of land ownership rights and the right to mine generally. The key challenge for a responsible mining sector is how to effectively manage ASM and its associated risks without compromising companies’ CSR/sustainability commitments.
