Supporting RCS Global Enables UNICEF Technical Collaboration

TTI’s sponsorship of the Better Mining initiative with the RCS Global Group has helped enable a technical collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aimed at eradicating child labor. In 2021, RCS Global and UNICEF announced they will develop and pilot a toolkit for mine operators and supply chain stakeholders to address child labor in artisanal and small mining (ASM) communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The toolkit will include:

• Actionable guidance for engaging with children and parents on and around sites
• Health and safety measures such as access control to sites
• Stakeholder engagement with local authorities and civil society organizations

This project will initially be piloted at two mine sites in the DRC. Once the development and piloting of the toolkit is complete, it can then be rolled out internationally, serving ASM communities worldwide. TTI will be supporting and engaging with the progress of the project, which aligns with our commitment to eradicate child labor.

As a founding partner in Better Mining’s program, TTI has supported RCS Global, a leader in responsible sourcing and driver of better practices in ASM operations since December 2020. Better Mining’s scope, as of December 2021, included over 49 ASM mining sites for cobalt, copper, gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten in the Great Lakes region of Africa. RCS Global also visits smaller mining operations to perform in-person monitoring by trained Better Mining staff. These monitors gather responsible sourcing data and digitally transcribe it into quantifiable improvement activity recommendations for local stakeholders to implement. The monitoring programs ultimately improve the sustainability practices of the mines, thereby enhancing the socioeconomic conditions of the wider community.