Côte d'Ivoire Partners with World Bank and World Gold Council to Improve Safety and Transparency in Small-Scale Mining

Strategic Insights -

Côte d'Ivoire has joined forces with the World Bank and the World Gold Council in an ambitious partnership to transform its small-scale mining industry. The agreement signed on July 11, 2025, seeks to improve safety and transparency in an industry that supports half a million livelihoods but has long struggled with poor regulation, environmental harm, and widespread smuggling. The new initiative, the Multistakeholder Partnership for Sustainable and Responsible Small-Scale Mining (MSPI), includes key industry players such as Endeavor Mining, Perseus Mining, and the Chamber of Mines of Côte d'Ivoire.

Key Takeaways:

  • The partnership aims to make Côte d'Ivoire's small-scale mining industry safer, more transparent, and a driver of development, growth, and job creation.
  • The MSPI will improve safety and transparency in small-scale mining by ensuring that gold produced within Côte d'Ivoire is legally traded and traceable through the supply chain.
  • The partnership will foster collaboration between large-scale industrial miners and small-scale legal operators, providing training, and facilitating access to legitimate gold trading markets.
  • The World Bank and the World Gold Council will work together to establish a framework for stakeholders to strengthen governance and mitigate security risks associated with illicit gold flows.
  • The agreement represents a concerted effort to shift artisanal and small-scale gold production into a regulated, traceable market.

Statistics:

  • Estimated 40 tons of gold (valued at over $2 billion) left Côte d'Ivoire illegally in 2022.
  • Half a million livelihoods depend on Côte d'Ivoire's small-scale mining industry.
  • The partnership aims to ensure gold produced by small-scale operations within Côte d'Ivoire is legally traded and traceable through the supply chain.

Sources:

  • "Partnership with World Bank, World Gold Council to Improve Safety, Environmental Standards, Curb Illicit Gold Trading" (July 11, 2025)
  • Quotations from Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, and Terry Heymann