United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Brasilia, 28 September 2023 - Researchers, public officials, UN entities, representatives of civil society organisations, indigenous peoples, and representatives from the academic community and UN entities gathered in Brasilia for the "National Seminar on gold mining in the Tapajos basin: paths towards a sustainable value chain, crime prevention and improved living conditions for workers", promoted by UNODC in the context of the Tapajos Project.

The aim of the event was to present the results of three studies produced as part of the Tapajos Project, including: the Study on the Prevalence of Trafficking in Persons and forced Labour in the small-scale gold mining sector in the Tapajos River Basin, implemented in partnership with the National Opinion Research Centre (NORC) of the University of Chicago and with the support of the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA) and Papel Social; the Study on the Gold Production Chain in the Tapajos River Basin Region, carried out in partnership with the Centre for Territorial Intelligence of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (CIT/UFMG); and the Study on the Intersection of Criminal Activities in the Gold Mining Sector in the Tapajos River Basin Region, carried out in partnership with the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP).

The meeting also included a debate between experts and indigenous representatives of the Munduruku Ipereg Ayu Movement and the Munduruku Wakoborun Women's Association on actions to strengthen the community and the monitoring and protection of the forest by the indigenous people themselves. Members of the Centre for Community Social Development Studies (CDESC), a project resulting from a partnership between the National Secretariat for Drug Policy of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad/MJSP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNODC, presented data from the Amazon Chapter of the World Drug Report 2023, as well as preliminary information from the study on the Brazilian Amazon produced by the Centre.

During the opening of the event, UNODC Brazil Representative Elena Abbati highlighted the importance of the Tapajos Project's research in fostering the creation of comprehensive and effective responses towards more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. "We hope that these studies will be a valuable resource for improving evidence-based public policies related to eradicating slave labour, tackling human trafficking at a local level and preventing crime in the state of Pará," she said.

The meeting also included a debate between experts and a presentation by representatives of the Munduruku Ipereg Ayu Movement and the Munduruku Wakoborun Women's Association on actions to strengthen the community and the monitoring and protection of the forest by the indigenous people themselves. Members of the Centre for Community Social Development Studies (CDESC), a project resulting from a partnership between the National Secretariat for Drug Policy of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad/MJSP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNODC, presented data from the Amazon Chapter of the World Drug Report 2023, as well as preliminary information from a report on the Brazilian Amazon produced by the Centre.

Participants were also able to visit a photographic exhibition on the trajectory of gold diggers in the Tapajos region. Authored by UFOPA researcher Carlos Bandeira Jr., the images show the life history and daily lives of men and women involved in the dynamics of gold mining in the region. On the final day of the event, the challenges and best practices to be considered by UNODC in relation to technical cooperation in implementing the activities of the second phase of the Tapajos project were discussed.