In the scope of the Minamata Convention, between 4 and 14 July 2017, UNITAR and Artisanal Gold Council’s (AGC) trainers were in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to train national researchers from Centre d’Expertise en Gestion Minière (CEGEMI – a research center at the Catholic University of Bukavu) hired by Agence Congolaise de l’Environnement (ACE). The training focused on developing baseline estimates of mercury use, as well as socio-economic and health aspects on the ASGM sector, and it involved in-office training in Bukavu as well as training in collecting data in two mine sites in South Kivu district (in Walungu and Kamituga respectively). 

On the fourteenth of July, the ‘Group Consultative des Parties Prenantes’ (Stakeholder Advisory Group – SAG) was established. The purpose of the SAG is to represent national stakeholders from civil society, and the public and private sector involved in the ASGM sector, in order to enable them to give advice and to influence the decisions made in the National Action Plan project. The SAG includes stakeholders from local NGOs, academic research institutions, public administration (e.g. The Ministry of Mines, ACE) and from mining operations.