Peru and Switzerland sign agreement to promote formalization and traceability in artisanal gold mining

Strengthening their friendship and strategic alliance, Peru, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swiss Confederation to promote the development of more responsible and inclusive artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in our country.

The Minister of Energy and Mines, Waldir Ayasta Mechán, ratified this Memorandum of Understanding alongside the Swiss ambassador, Paul Garnier, representing the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the European country, highlighting the relevance of this agreement which consolidates a strategic alliance aimed at promoting better environmental, social, and governance practices in the gold value chain.

Ayasta highlighted that Switzerland has significant experience in the mining sector, with companies operating globally. Therefore, their support will be important for our country to gain greater efficiency and competitiveness in small-scale mining activities, within the framework of formality and with respect for modern and sustainable standards.

In turn, the ambassador pointed out that the Memorandum of Understanding reflects Switzerland's commitment to the development of responsible and sustainable gold value chains, and that the objective is to generate concrete opportunities for formalization, traceability, and access to responsible markets for artisanal and small-scale mining in Peru.

This way, Peru's participation in the Swiss Program for the Promotion of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining is formalized. This is a global initiative financed by Switzerland, through its Economic Cooperation, which seeks to strengthen the responsible gold value chain, contributing to poverty reduction and the improvement of social and environmental conditions in the sector.

The program will be implemented between 2025 and 2028 and includes three components. The first is a Challenge Fund that will co-finance innovative solutions to improve environmental, social, and governance performance in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector, with private sector participation.

The selected projects will receive funding from Swiss Economic Cooperation and must include at least 25% private co-financing. The submission period for the first call for proposals closed on May 29, 2026.

The second component, which involves direct participation between MINEM and SECO, focuses on political dialogue to promote collaboration between the national government, regional governments, and other stakeholders in the sector, with an emphasis on traceability, formalization, and incentives for responsible mining.

The third component is oriented towards knowledge management, through the generation and dissemination of learnings, case studies, and best practices, as well as the promotion of exchanges and participation in international forums.

Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding, both parties will promote dialogue spaces, technical assistance for regulatory reforms prioritized by MINEM, development of technical studies, and capacity building for public entities linked to the sector.

The signing of this agreement reaffirms the commitment of Switzerland and Peru to move towards a more sustainable and inclusive mining development model that generates value for communities and actors linked to ASM.