Four central banks sign London Principles to formalise artisanal small-scale gold mining sector

The World Gold Council (WGC) has announced that four central banks have committed to signing ‘The London Principles’, which is a set of operating principles to help structure and formalise central bank artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) domestic purchase programmes (DPP). The inaugural signatories are Colombia’s Banco de la República, Banco Central del Ecuador, the Bank of Mongolia and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The commitment of these institutions represents progress towards more responsible gold sourcing practices worldwide, the WGC said on June 12.