Artisanal and small-scale mining Supporting efforts to monitor informal mining Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is an important component of the global mining sector, providing employment and livelihoods for millions of people around the world. Yet its economic significance is difficult to enumerate, and the sector is often neglected or overlooked by policymakers and regulatory bodies. While EITI reporting has traditionally focused on the formal, large-scale mining and oil and gas sectors, it has also provided a platform for countries to disclose information on ASM to promote greater transparency and accountability in this sector. In recent years, the EITI has taken steps to strengthen reporting on ASM. The 2016 EITI Standard introduced a requirement for participating countries to report on the contribution of ASM to their national economy. In 2018, a review by the EITI International Secretariat found that ASM is relevant in at least 31 EITI implementing countries, and that 16 countries had included objectives related to ASM in their work plans. However, the review also found that few countries had designed a comprehensive approach for covering ASM in their EITI reporting. Nonetheless, some countries have made strides to shed more light on the sector. Burkina Faso and Niger have seen engagement from ASM actors in their EITI multi-stakeholder groups. EITI reporting in Côte d’Ivoire has described the roles of government agencies and state-owned enterprises in overseeing the sector. In Honduras, EITI reporting has provided information on the construction of an ASM project and the mining regulator’s policy for women’s participation in artisanal mining. In recent years, the EITI has collaborated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to strengthen reporting and due diligence in ASM in West Africa and beyond. Thanks to this partnership, the EITI produced new guidance in 2022 to better support countries in their efforts to cover the ASM sector in their EITI reporting. Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo has included data on subnational payments and mineral production related to ASM in its EITI reporting, and has used data from the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI) to discern the levels of production and revenues from the sector. In 2023, ITIE-RDC produced a thematic report on the ASM copper-cobalt-zinc value chain with support from the Belgian government. The report includes recommendations on collecting ASM data and information on alleged corruption cases in the sector. Niger With funding from the Belgian government, Niger produced a scoping study in 2022 which provides an overview of the recently revised legislative framework for ASM and key actors in the supply chain. It also discloses ASM production, commercialisation and export data and highlights discrepancies between production and exports, calling for further investigation into the cause of these irregularities. The report provides recommendations for integrating ASM in EITI reporting, including a materiality threshold and a reporting template. 39 Twenty years of extractives transparency