Nobel Peace Prize Made Out of Fairmined Gold
The winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize will be presented with a medal that is made out of Fairmined certified gold for the first time in the award's history.
OSLO, Norway, December 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
The Norwegian Mint, which produces the medal, has teamed up with the Alliance for Responsible Mining in a bid to highlight the problems faced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners in some of the poorest parts of the world.
The prize, featuring the head of Alfred Nobel, was struck at the Norway Mint in Kongsberg, Norway, ahead of the ceremony on December 10th when it will be presented to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, the mediators credited with saving a country on the brink of civil war in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Gold mining is a vital source of income for many communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Around 90 per cent of the world's gold miners work in artisanal and small-scale mines and often face difficult conditions, working with simple tools and regularly using damaging amounts of mercury, a substance which is dangerous for the workers and presents an environmental hazard if not handled responsibly.
The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) is working to transform artisanal and small-scale mining into a social and environmentally responsible activity by supporting miners in reaching Fairmined Certification. To be Fairmined certified the miners must meet strict requirements for responsible practices to, deliver social development and ensure environmental protection.
The jewellery industry has already come quite far with their initiatives to promote responsible supply chains, but the coin industry has some catching up to do. The partners involved in the Nobel initiative hope that they can help open more eyes to the problems faced by gold miners around the world.
"Having the Nobel Peace Prize made in Fairmined gold is an important achievement for the miners as it shows that their dedication to responsible mining is recognised internationally," said Kenneth Porter from the Alliance for Responsible Mining said. "It also shows the world that you can get traceable gold from artisanal and small-scale mining and make a positive impact in the communities."
The gold used in the medal comes from the Fairmined certified Íquira Cooperative in Colombia and has been supplied to the Mint by Fairmined refiner S&P Trading - Gold by Gold.
For more information contact:
Rupert Esdaile
[email protected]
Tel: +44-(0)-207-734-2002
SOURCE The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM)
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