Certification systems meant to ensure gold is ethically sourced often rely on desk-based audits, failing to uncover actual criminal activity and child exploitation in mining operations.
01Summary
- 01Multiple layers of certification exist to verify gold is free from rights abuses and criminality.
- 02Auditors are not required to physically visit mining sites, conducting checks from their desks instead.
- 03The gap in oversight allows child exploitation and other abuses to persist in the industry.
02Why it matters
This matters because consumers and investors who rely on ethical gold certifications may be misled, while vulnerable children and workers in mining regions remain unprotected by the current system.
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