Record gold prices are driving a surge in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), yet illicit flows undermine revenues, communities, and global security. The price of gold has risen by approximately 500% since 2008, making it one of the world’s most sought-after commodities. Yet the sector faces significant challenges.
An estimated 20% of global gold production comes from the labour of over 15 million artisanal and small-scale miners across more than 80 countries. However, it remains difficult to determine what share of this production reaches global markets through formal and legal channels. The majority of gold produced by ASGM miners is believed to move through informal or poorly regulated trading networks before entering the global market.
This deprives producing countries of vital domestic revenues, devalues earnings for miners, and exacerbates environmental and social harms in mining communities. Criminal groups and terrorist organizations often embed themselves in informal networks to launder money, deepening the links between informal mining and organized crime.
Why Formalization and Responsible Supply Chains Matter
It is important to note that not all informal or illegal mining activities are connected to organized crime, even though such mining operations can be particularly vulnerable to infiltration or exploitation by criminal networks. But if we are serious about tackling illicit gold flows and protecting national and community resources, we must invest in inclusive ASGM formalization and support responsible supply chains. Governments in gold-producing, exporting, and destination countries are critical to safeguarding and growing ASGM’s contribution to the legitimate international market.
The Global Coalition for Action on ASGM, a partnership between the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), the World Gold Council, and the World Bank, is working to enhance environmental, social, and governance performance in the sector, including by addressing criminal mining activities and illicit gold trade. The Coalition stems from rising concern over the environmental, social, and security impacts of unregulated activities and increasing requests for international assistance from gold-producing countries to curb illicit flows and formalize their ASGM sectors.
A Shared Vision for Responsible Gold
In March 2025, representatives from governments, industry, civil society, and development organizations met in Toronto to talk frankly about ASGM, its potential and its serious risks. Co-hosted by IGF, the World Bank, and the World Gold Council, the meeting united actors who don’t usually sit around the same table but share a common goal: grow responsible ASGM that improves lives, supports national development, and limits illicit gold flows.
These challenges cannot be addressed by any single organization acting alone. Breaking down institutional silos, improving information sharing, and developing joint solutions across governments, industry, and civil society will be essential to strengthening transparency, accountability, and shared benefits across the sector. Progress will depend on stronger collaboration across the gold supply chain, from the mine site to the jewellery store.
Out of that conversation came a clear vision: a global coalition that would support countries to formalize ASGM, strengthen social and environmental performance, and tackle organized crime and armed groups linked to the sector. That vision became the Global Coalition for Action on ASGM.
Commitment to Action
The Coalition was formally launched in November 2025 during the IGF’s Annual General Meeting, and its work now focuses on three fronts: establishing a governance framework, launching targeted working groups, and driving change in countries. Through its representative councils and working groups, the Coalition brings together governments, value-chain actors, ASGM representatives, international organizations, and law enforcement to align on a common vision, improve coordination, and ensure that miners and governments are at the centre of decision making. On the ground, the Coalition’s approach is already being tested. In September 2025, Brazil launched the Brazilian Forum for Responsible Gold, led by the National Mining Agency and supported by the IGF and the World Gold Council. The forum signals Brazil’s commitment to formalizing ASGM, improving traceability, and cracking down on illegal mining and illicit financial flows. The Coalition aims to support governments, like Brazil, in advancing multistakeholder approaches to ASGM.
A Collective Path Forward Across the Gold Supply Chain
The Global Coalition for Action on ASGM represents a timely and practical response to a complex, cross-border and multi-actor challenge. Turning early momentum into lasting impact will require coordinated action across governments, industry, and development partners—each playing a distinct but complementary role. Governments can lead by helping to advance formalization, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and anchoring multi-stakeholder coordination, including through national councils under the Coalition’s umbrella.
Companies and refiners can move from risk avoidance to responsible engagement by integrating ASGM into due diligence systems, investing in traceability, and supporting credible sourcing pathways. Development partners and international organizations can scale impact by aligning technical and financial support behind the Coalition’s priorities. Together, these efforts can shift the sector from fragmented interventions to a more coherent system—one that generates public revenues, improves livelihoods, and strengthens the resilience of mining communities.