The Ministry of Mines and Energy published the draft Resolution adopting the "National Policy for Subsistence Mining", aimed at subsistence miners and other actors that may be linked to the implementation of this policy.
The vision of the Policy is that Subsistence Mining in Colombia will be, by 2030, organized, complying with legality and traceability parameters, allowing differentiation based on social and cultural factors of populations that have traditionally practiced the activity, becoming a dignified livelihood for the miner.
The Policy will be implemented under the approaches (or frames of reference) of (i) prevention, promotion, protection and guarantee of human rights; (ii) gender equality from the labor and community dimensions, as well as promoting its integration in sectoral planning and project implementation; (iii) diversity, valuing the ethnic diversity of the national territory (Afro-Colombians, indigenous, palenqueras, raizales and gypsies); (iv) territorial development for the social construction of the environment; and (v) environmental protection.
In line with the above, the Policy is based on six strategic lines:
i) Institutional Strengthening: This line seeks to strengthen and modernize institutional capacities for the attention of subsistence miners, in view of the new challenges, expectations and realities of mining in the regions.
ii) Social Inclusion: It seeks to create opportunities or facilities for subsistence miners to participate in the economic, social and cultural life of society.
iii) Associative Strengthening: With the purpose of organizing a new social structure in the mining sector, associative and solidary forms are proposed, with procedures of community ownership and collective work.
iv) Production Chaining: The need to generate schemes and lines that include the development of value chains, considering factors such as climate change and high standards of technical, environmental and social development in the communities.
v) Best Practices: This line promotes the integral development of subsistence miners through the generation of competencies, skills and the establishment of strategies for learning, training and education.
vi) Sectoral Regulation and Analysis: The aim is to guarantee a stable legal framework for subsistence mining, with a long-term vision for the organization and management of the sector.
Among the guidelines to be highlighted in the Policy are respect for human rights, distributive justice (in the understanding that gender policies must have equality between women and men as a horizon and foundation). This Policy contributes to improve the working conditions of subsistence mining actors, in conditions of equity, legality, development and best mining and environmental practices.
To learn more about the project through which the National Policy for Subsistence Mining is adopted, please click on the following link:
195841_PR Politica Nacional mineria de subsistencia.pdf (windows.net)
195841_PR Politica Nacional mineria de subsistencia.pdf (windows.net)