Countries in the region face difficulties in controlling the importation and use of mercury in small-scale mining activities. This problem is present both in artisanal mining, where special permits are granted by the state authority, and in illegal mining, where no concessions or permits were granted. DTOC has identified the extensive and uncontrolled use of mercury in illegal exploitation fields as an indicator of parallel criminal activity and a wide gap in control of the market for illegal supplies. in those states.
From this perspective, greater coordination is necessary in actions to combat transnational organized crime groups located in areas of illegal mineral exploitation. Although some countries in the region have robust mechanisms to deprive criminal organizations of their illicit assets (such as Asset Forfeiture legislation), some of the processes of identification, location, confiscation and disposition of assets seized in illegal mining investigations need review and updating. The fact that the majority of OAS member states are signatories to the Minamata Convention on Mercury shows political will and predisposition to update their prevention and control mechanisms to comply with international standards for the storage and use of mercury.
For this reason, DTOC, the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC), and the Office of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) of the United States Department of State (DoS) developed this project to foster greater international cooperation between OAS member states to better understand and improve their regulatory systems for the use of mercury in gold extraction.