The voluntary partnership of 86 governments that turns mining into sustainable development. Founded in 2005, hosted by IISD, and, since November 2025, the convenor with the World Bank and the World Gold Council of the Global Coalition for Action on artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Visit igfmining.orgThe Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development is a voluntary intergovernmental partnership founded in 2005, emerging from the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and launched by Canada and South Africa. It helps member governments turn mining into sustainable development through better laws, policies and regulations, working across the full mining life cycle on inclusive and gender-equitable practices, financial benefits, livelihoods and the environment.
Its Secretariat has been hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) since October 2015, when Canada moved it outside government to align with the Sustainable Development Goals. It is not a treaty body and imposes no legal or financial obligations; it works through in-country assessments, capacity building, guidance and its Annual General Meeting in Geneva.
A member-driven partnership open to any government, with a national focal point in each member’s mining ministry.
The IGF’s flagship tool, first ratified by members in 2010 and updated in 2023. It identifies best practice across six pillars of mining policy and law, each backed by detailed guidance notes and country assessments.
The laws, policies and institutions that frame the sector.
Optimising tax, royalties and the fiscal take.
Local content, jobs and community development.
Managing environmental impacts across the life cycle.
Mine closure and what comes after extraction.
A dedicated pillar on ASM governance and formalisation.
MPF Assessments run in two phases: a gap assessment (desk research, site visits and stakeholder consultations, published as a report) and a capacity-building phase. More than a dozen member states have been assessed to date.
Artisanal and small-scale mining is one of the six Mining Policy Framework pillars, and gold is where the IGF’s government-facing formalisation work matters most.
A partnership between the IGF, the World Gold Council and the World Bank, formally launched at the IGF’s 21st Annual General Meeting. Per the IGF, an estimated 20% of global gold production comes from over 15 million artisanal and small-scale miners across more than 80 countries, most of it moving through informal or poorly regulated networks before reaching the market. The coalition works to support countries to formalise ASGM, strengthen social and environmental performance, and tackle organised crime and armed groups linked to the sector, coordinated through representative councils and working groups.
Visit igfmining.orgA shelf of government-facing guidance mapped to the MPF pillars, plus fiscal models and gendered analysis.
Core-funded by Canada, hosted by IISD, and steered by its members.
The last two AGMs and the newest programmes, 2024 to 2026.
Checked July 2026 against igfmining.org, iisd.org and the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin. The member count is the IGF’s own figure.
This profile draws on the IGF’s own materials, IISD and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.