Source:
MINEM, 2025. Política Nacional Multisectorial para la Pequeña Minería y Minería Artesanal al 2030
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) has released the proposed National Multisectoral Policy for Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining (MAPE) to 2030, a strategic document designed to guide the sector’s formalization, modernization, and sustainable development. While originally published in 2022, it has regained urgency ahead of congressional debate on the new MAPE Law, which will take place once the new Energy and Mines Committee is formed. The policy recognizes MAPE as a vital source of income for thousands of families in rural Peru, framing it as both an engine for poverty reduction and a sector plagued by informality, precarious labor, and environmental risks.
Despite its challenges, MAPE carries substantial economic weight—in Madre de Dios, it accounted for up to 13.2% of national gold production between 2009 and 2019. Yet miners face steep costs and complex bureaucracy to formalize, limited access to appropriate technologies, and poor occupational health and safety conditions. The proposed policy outlines nine sections covering its legal foundation, key concepts, problem diagnosis, objectives and indicators, compliance standards, institutional responsibilities, and supporting documentation. It aligns with major national and international frameworks, including the Acuerdo Nacional, Peru’s Vision 2050, and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The policy’s impact will depend on its ability to foster inclusive stakeholder participation and secure a social license to operate for formalized small-scale mining. This means engaging miners’ associations, local governments, indigenous communities, and civil society in designing and implementing reforms that are practical, fair, and context sensitive. Without this participatory approach, formalization risks being perceived as an imposed legal requirement rather than a pathway to safer, more sustainable, and economically viable mining practices that benefit both local populations and the environment.