Civil society policy recommendations on illicit gold
28 abril 2026
Amid a wave of geopolitical instability and surging demand, gold is increasingly attractive as a strategic financial vehicle for organised crime, sanctions evasion, corruption and political control.
The implications for the environment, human rights and security are disastrous, including river pollution, forest destruction and abuse of affected communities.
As the UK is the centre of the world’s largest over-the-counter gold market, the government is uniquely exposed to the risks, but also well positioned to offer solutions through both domestic policies and international partnerships.
By featuring gold alongside other high-risk asset classes – crypto and property – at the Illicit Finance Summit (June 23-24), the UK Government is acknowledging the illicit gold crisis.
A coalition of 34 civil society groups applaud the initiative, but warn that current levels of ambition do not match the scale of the illicit gold threat. Drawing on their collective expertise working on gold-related corruption, insecurity, money laundering, and environmental and human rights harms, the organisations propose joint recommendations for the international community as well as the UK.
Hannah Mowat, Campaigns Coordinator at Fern, said: “As the price of gold soars, so does the cost of extracting it. From the Amazon to Ghana to Indonesia, some of the most critically important rainforests are being razed for gold which is sold on international markets. Gold mining drives more deforestation than any other mineral. Meanwhile many of the artisanal miners feeding the rocketing demand for gold are trapped in cycles of poverty. We must end this damage by both introducing national traceability systems to ensure gold isn’t being sourced from forested areas, and supporting artisanal miners to market sustainable gold.”
Categorias: News, Briefing Notes, NGO Statements, Critical minerals
