The planetGOLD Ghana Project has inaugurated a Grievance Redress and Child Protection Committee (GRaCPC) to strengthen accountability, transparency and child protection within artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities.
The committee is also expected to provide clear and accessible channels for receiving and addressing complaints from project-affected persons, communities and other stakeholders on the implementation of project activities.
It also forms part of efforts to promote child-labour-free, mercury-free and responsible mining practices in the country.
Mr Isaac Owusu, Project Safeguards Officer, said the committee would serve as an important community-based mechanism to address grievances and safeguard vulnerable groups.
“Responsible mining is not just about production. It is about protecting people, communities and the environment. The GRaCPC will ensure that concerns are addressed fairly, transparently, and in ways that strengthen trust between stakeholders,” he said.
Mr Owusu noted that the project operated a single grievance redress mechanism (GRM) with four operational levels, community, district, regional and national.
He expressed appreciation to partners and participants for their continued support, noting that the initiative would contribute to building a model for responsible and inclusive mining that could be replicated across the country.
Mrs Justine Seyire Dzadzra, Technical Officer, planetGOLD Ghana, outlined the objectives of the project, noting that while the ASGM sector contributed significantly to Ghana’s economy, it also accounted for about 80 per cent of the mercury used in the country.
She said the project was supporting the formalisation of the sector, improving access to finance and promoting mercury-free technologies that protected miners and the communities in which they operated.
Mrs Dzadzra urged miners to prioritise health and sustainability, and noted that other initiatives were supporting diversified livelihood options.
Members of the GRaCPC were drawn from project-affected communities, the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Commission, Department of Social Welfare and civil society organisations, including A Rocha Ghana.
The committee is mandated to provide transparent grievance channels, conduct impartial investigations, monitor potential child labour cases and promote safe and responsible mining environments.
As part of community engagements, the planetGOLD Ghana team visited Ekorso in the Atiwa Mining District to introduce the new committee members at a meeting hosted by the Queen Mother of Ekorso.
The Queen Mother commended the initiative and urged members to handle disputes with patience and respect, adding that collaboration with traditional leadership was essential in resolving complex community concerns.
The inauguration ceremony, held at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, brought together representatives of government institutions, non-governmental organisations, traditional authorities and actors along the ASGM value chain.
The planetGOLD Ghana Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), executed by UNDP and UNIDO, and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.
It seeks to promote mercury-free technologies, improve access to finance and strengthen responsible gold supply chains within the ASGM sector.