The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of global supply chains and the vulnerability of people working at the bottom of these supply chains. In the mining sector, the pandemic has had devastating effects on workers and communities around the world. In some parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, small-scale mining activity has been reduced or halted due to lockdowns and blocked trade routes. Where mining has been suspended, mine workers and their families have lost their income. Where mining has continued, workers and affected communities have been exposed to increased risks to their human rights. In some small-scale mining areas, child labour has risen.

In addition, some illegal mine operators and traders have made use of the Covid-19 pandemic to expand their unlawful small-scale mining activities. Illegal gold mining in Africa and Latin America threatens the environment and rights protections, especially the rights of Indigenous peoples. And while lockdowns have been important in combatting the spread of the pandemic, they have also hampered government monitoring and enforcement of mining and labour rights standards. Finally, industrial mines have become hotspots for Covid-19, including the world’s deepest gold mine, located in South Africa.

Report by the Human Rights Watch