Strengthening their ties of friendship and strategic partnership, Peru, through the
, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swiss Confederation to promote the development of more responsible and inclusive artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the South American country.
The Cabinet member highlighted the importance of the agreement, which consolidates a strategic partnership aimed at promoting better environmental, social, and governance practices across the gold value chain.
Ayasta noted that Switzerland has extensive experience in the mining sector, with companies operating on a global scale.
Therefore, he said, Swiss support will be important in helping Peru achieve greater efficiency and competitiveness in small-scale mining activities, while promoting formalization and compliance with modern sustainability standards.
In turn,
Ambassador Garnier said the MoU reflects Switzerland's commitment to developing responsible and sustainable gold value chains.
He added that the objective is to create concrete opportunities for formalization, traceability, and access to responsible markets for artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Peru.
The agreement formally establishes Peru's participation in the Swiss Program for the Promotion of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining, a global initiative funded by Switzerland through its economic cooperation framework.
The program seeks to strengthen the responsible gold value chain, contributing to poverty reduction and improving social and environmental conditions across the sector.
The program will be implemented between 2025 and 2028 and includes three components.
The first is a Challenge Fund that will co-finance innovative solutions to improve environmental, social, and governance performance in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector, with private-sector participation.
Selected projects will receive funding from Switzerland's Economic Cooperation program and must secure at least 25% private-sector co-financing.
The submission period for the first call for proposals closed on May 29, 2026.
The second component, which involves direct participation by Minem and SECO, focuses on policy dialogue to promote coordination among the national government, regional governments, and other stakeholders in the sector, with emphasis on traceability, formalization, and incentives for responsible mining.
The third component focuses on knowledge management through the generation and dissemination of lessons learned, case studies, and best practices, as well as the promotion of exchanges and participation in international forums.
Under the MoU, both parties will promote dialogue platforms, provide technical assistance for regulatory reforms prioritized by Minem, prepare technical studies, and strengthen the capacities of public entities linked to the sector.
The signing of the agreement reaffirms the commitment of Switzerland and Peru to advancing a more sustainable and inclusive mining development model that creates value for communities and stakeholders linked to the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.