USAID-PACT Sustainable Mine Site Validation Project Quarterly Report – FY 19 Q2

The program aims to reduce conflict that builds off the illegal mining and trade of 3T minerals (tin, tantalum, and tungsten) by implementing a new Mine Site Qualification and Validation (Q&V) model in North and South Kivu, DRC. The Q&V model is designed to be financially and technically sustainable, meeting all requirements laid down in the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Regional Certification Mechanism, and DRC law. The project also aims to allow for adequate flexibility on the ground to enable Q&V of new mine sites in a timely fashion and in accordance with local needs. The project will fully capacitate DRC Mining Inspectors and local multi-stakeholder committees (CLS) in conducting Q&V missions, adequately monitoring mining activities at all sites, and addressing/mitigating identified risks at these sites. New CLS or sub-CLS will be set-up and capacitated in areas identified as appropriate, following a risk-based approach. Independent monitoring will be ensured through a whistleblowing and rapid-alert mechanism. A particular emphasis will be put on gender and child labor, by raising awareness of local stakeholders and developing strategies to fight child labor, and increasing the representation of women in mining. Pact will tackle the issue of financial sustainability by organizing a policy dialogue at the national and provincial level, aiming to create incentives for an adequate management and redistribution of the basket funds towards CLS and their activities, and by incentivizing private sector engagement. During the second quarter of FY 19, the project made significant progress in establishing the field-based office, recruiting and onboarding key personnel, and procuring project equipment and supplies. The project manager, technical advisor, finance and administration officer, and logistician-driver were recruited and onboarded during this period. The project also procured equipment and supplies, including vehicles, motorbikes, laptops, office cabinets, conference tables, chairs, and office desk sets. The security situation in the region remains stable, though with isolated areas being volatile. In South Kivu, insecurity was mostly recorded in Uvira territory, where activities of non-state armed groups or of unidentified bandits are reported. In North Kivu, greater challenges continue to be observed, in particular in the northern territories of Lubero and Beni. The current key issue is the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Beni and Butembo, which has resulted in over 1,000 confirmed cases and has spread to Bunia, a city with a population of 500,000 to 800,000. Health centers, Ebola treatment facilities, and vaccination teams have increasingly come under attack by uncontrolled civilians or non-state armed groups. The project's focus on artisanal mining (ASM) is particularly relevant in this context, as most of the DRC's gold production comes from ASM, which will be the worst impacted by the spread of disease. Artisanal miners already face greater health risks and insecurity and are likely to be further severely marginalized in this crisis. The project's efforts to capacitate DRC Mining Inspectors and local multi-stakeholder committees, and to implement a new Q&V model, are critical to addressing the challenges posed by the Ebola outbreak and promoting sustainable and responsible mining practices in the region.