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Due diligence
The ICGLR certificate for gold: what the regional certificate is, who issues it, and what it proves to a buyer
An ICGLR certificate is a government export document under the Great Lakes region's Regional Certification Mechanism. It states that a specific lot of tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold was mined, traded and handled in accordance with the mechanism's requirements. Uganda launched issuance of the certificate in November 2023, but we could not establish whether any certificate has yet been issued for gold. This page explains what the certificate is, who issues it, and what it does and does not prove. Uganda Gold Report holds no certificate of any kind and cannot obtain one for a buyer.
What the ICGLR is, and what the certificate is
The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has twelve member states: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. At a special summit in Lusaka in December 2010 the heads of state adopted six tools against the illegal exploitation of natural resources. The Regional Certification Mechanism (RCM) is the core tool; the others are harmonisation of national laws, a regional mineral database, formalisation of artisanal mining, EITI peer learning and a whistle-blowing mechanism. The RCM covers four "designated minerals": tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold.
The ICGLR certificate is the export document at the end of that mechanism. The RCM manual (first edition 2011, second edition 2019) defines it as "a forgery resistant document issued by a Member State" identifying a shipment as conforming to the RCM, and calls it "the sole recognised document" that an export was mined and traded in compliance with the mechanism.
The five parts of the Regional Certification Mechanism
| Element | What the RCM manual requires | What a buyer should take from it |
|---|---|---|
| Mine site inspection | A member-state inspector assesses each site annually: Valid (green), Provisionally Valid (yellow), Not Valid (red) or Not Inspected (blue). Green and yellow sites may sell for certified export; a red site may not produce or sell for at least three months | A certificate rests on the status of the mine sites behind it |
| Chain of custody | A record of every holder of each lot from mine to export, kept by a licensed system for five years, and required before a certificate is issued | The certificate summarises a record; ask for the record. See documents and compliance |
| Third-party audit of exporters | Independent audits from exporter back to mine sites, under a tripartite ICGLR Audit Committee; exporters are classed green, yellow, red or Not Audited (blue). Only green, yellow or blue exporters receive certificates | Ask the exporter for its audit status |
| Export and certificate | A lead government agency examines each export lot and its documents; an official whose signature is on file with the ICGLR Secretariat countersigns | Issued by a government, per lot, never by a seller |
| Regional mineral database | Member states upload mine-site, chain-of-custody and exporter data to a database kept by the Secretariat | Where the status behind a certificate is meant to be checkable |
What the certificate states
The manual sets the minimum content: the title "ICGLR Certificate" and logo; the statement that the mineral in the lot was mined, traded and handled in accordance with the RCM; the issuing member state; a unique serial number; the exporter and importer; the lot number; mineral, weight and grade; country or countries of origin; declared customs value; shipment date, route and carrier; the issuing authority and verifying official; the countersignature that makes it valid; and an expiry no more than 90 days after issue. A copy travels with the shipment and a copy goes to the downstream buyer.
The certificate covers one lot, and a member state issues and countersigns it. No company, refinery, dealer or website can be "ICGLR certified"; the mechanism classes exporters by audit status, and only a government issues the certificate.
Uganda's position
Uganda is a member state, and its Mining and Minerals Act 2022 builds the mechanism into national law. Section 178 designates the mining directorate as the competent authority for mine-site inspection and certification under the ICGLR implementation Act of 2018, requires a database of mine sites producing designated minerals, and requires a physical inspection of each site before the first ICGLR certificate for its minerals and at least yearly after that. A designated mineral includes gold. Section 257 makes falsifying a certificate of origin an offence.
The directorate announced on 29 November 2023 that the ministry had launched issuance of the certificate for tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold; anyone with rights of exploitation of these minerals shall apply, and the certificate is issued after all validation steps. The directorate's guide says anyone mining, trading or exporting the four minerals needs to be certified.
What we could not establish is whether any certificate has been issued for gold. We found no public count or register, and no text read names the official who issues or countersigns a Ugandan certificate. Press reports describe the gap: an ICGLR audit committee member was reported in February 2025 as saying the mechanism had in practice covered only tin; in September 2025 the coordinator of the ICGLR technical unit was reported as saying gold lacked a robust traceability system and that Uganda was building one modelled on Tanzania's. That report described one tin exporter, and no gold exporter, as having gone through the mechanism. A ministry notice reported in February 2026 lists the documents an export-permit applicant must present; the ICGLR certificate is not among them. Whether it is mandatory for a gold consignment is a question for Ugandan counsel. See how gold is lawfully exported from Uganda.
What the certificate proves and does not prove
| Question | What a genuine certificate shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Was this lot handled under the RCM? | The issuing state checked the lot's documents against mine-site, chain-of-custody and exporter requirements on the date shown | That the buyer's own due diligence is done. The OECD guidance says such schemes "may deliver credible assurance"; they do not replace its five steps |
| Where was the gold mined? | The country or countries of origin declared on the certificate | The mine itself. Origin is shown by the chain-of-custody record and the mine-site status behind it |
| Is the exporter lawful? | The exporter named held a green, yellow or blue audit status at issue | That it holds the gold now, owns another lot, or is acceptable to the buyer's bank or refinery |
| Is this the gold in front of me? | Mineral, weight, grade, lot number and shipment date for one lot, valid for at most 90 days | Anything about another lot, a later shipment or an expired document. Fineness on arrival needs an independent assay |
| Is Ugandan gold Ugandan? | Only what the origin field states | Uganda recorded about 62 tonnes of gold exports in 2025, a rise UN experts assessed as largely attributable to gold from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See production and exports |
How it fits with Uganda's other export documents
Each export document proves something different. The export permit shows that a consignment may leave Uganda (s.150(1)). It does not exempt the exporter from a certificate of origin "where applicable", a certificate of analysis authenticated by the country of origin and, for minerals not from Uganda, the origin country's export documents (s.150(4)). The chain-of-custody record is the sequence of holders from the mine. An ICGLR certificate sits on top of that record as the state's statement that the record, the mine sites and the exporter met the RCM when the lot was checked. Whether the Act's certificate of origin is the ICGLR certificate is not stated in any text we read. See what each export document should prove.
Warning signs
- "ICGLR certified gold" or "ICGLR certified supplier" on a seller's website. The certificate covers a lot, and a government issues it
- A certificate offered before any consignment exists, or dated more than 90 days ago
- A certificate for another lot, exporter or mineral
- A certificate the issuing authority cannot confirm by serial number
- A certificate presented as proof of fineness, ownership or the seller's licence
- A fee to "obtain" or "release" a certificate before a signed contract
Our guide to Uganda gold scams shows how these offers work, the five due-diligence checks give an official source for each test, and how to check a Ugandan gold supplier covers the licence and permit behind any seller.
Questions to ask
- Which agency issued the certificate, who countersigned it, and how can I confirm the serial number?
- Does it name this exporter, lot, weight, grade, importer and shipment date?
- What is the exporter's audit status, and which mine sites supplied the lot, with what inspection status?
- May I see the chain-of-custody record, and does its origin match the export permit, certificate of analysis and invoice?
- If no ICGLR certificate exists for the lot, which documents show origin instead?
A compliance team can request the buyer compliance file.
Where Uganda Gold Report stands
Uganda Gold Report is developing documented gold-sourcing routes and welcomes enquiries from qualified international buyers. Product availability, specifications, seller authority and export eligibility are subject to independent verification and applicable regulatory approvals. We hold no certificate of any kind, no stock and no Ugandan licence, we are not certified by anyone, and we cannot obtain an ICGLR certificate for a buyer today. If documented origin matters to you, say so when you request a gold quote; see also how buying gold from Uganda works.
Questions buyers ask
What is an ICGLR certificate?
A government export document under the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism for tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. The RCM manual defines it as a forgery-resistant document issued by a member state that identifies a shipment as conforming to the mechanism. It states the issuing state, a serial number, the exporter and importer, the lot, the mineral's weight and grade, the country of origin and the countersignature that makes it valid, and it expires no more than 90 days after issue.
Does Uganda issue ICGLR certificates for gold?
Uganda's mining directorate announced on 29 November 2023 that the ministry had launched issuance of the certificate for tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold, and the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 names the directorate as the competent authority for inspection and certification. We could not establish whether any certificate has been issued for gold: we found no public count or register, and press reports in 2025 described only a tin exporter as certified and gold as lacking a traceability system. Ask the directorate to confirm any certificate by serial number.
Is an ICGLR certificate proof of origin?
It is the issuing state's statement that one lot was mined, traded and handled under the RCM, with the country or countries of origin declared on it. It is not the chain-of-custody record itself, and the OECD guidance treats such schemes as something that "may deliver credible assurance", not as a substitute for a buyer's own due diligence. Ask for the chain-of-custody record and the mine-site status behind the certificate.
Can a seller, or Uganda Gold Report, be "ICGLR certified"?
No. The certificate covers a consignment and is issued and countersigned by a government. The mechanism classes exporters by audit status and mine sites by inspection status; it does not certify a company, a website or a supplier. Uganda Gold Report holds no certificate of any kind, is not certified by anyone and cannot obtain an ICGLR certificate for a buyer.
How do I confirm an ICGLR certificate?
Check that it carries every item the RCM manual requires, that it names this exporter, this lot, this weight and grade, this importer and this shipment date, and that it has not expired. Then ask the issuing authority, in Uganda the mining directorate, to confirm the serial number and the countersigning official. The ICGLR Secretariat keeps the list of authorised signatures and certificate designs. A certificate the issuer cannot confirm proves nothing.
Quotes
Tell us what you are buying.
Send the gold form, fineness, quantity, delivery point and the documents you require. We reply by email with what can and cannot be quoted at this stage, and on what basis.
Sources for the figures and rules on this page
Evidence for this page
Each statement is labelled by the strength of its evidence and dated. How we label evidence.
| Statement | Evidence | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| The ICGLR member states listed on the ICGLR website are Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. | Official | ICGLR website, footer list of member states, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| The RCM is one of the six tools of the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (RINR), decided at the Lusaka special summit of December 2010 and approved by the twelve heads of state: (I) Regional Certification Mechanism, (II) harmonisation of national legislations, (III) regional database on mineral flows, (IV) formalisation of the artisanal mining sector, (V) EITI peer learning mechanism, (VI) whistle-blowing mechanism. The RCM is "the core tool of the Initiative", covers tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, referred to as "Conflict Minerals" under Dodd-Frank s.1502 and the EU regulation and as "Designated Minerals" under the ICGLR scheme, and comprises five main elements: mine site inspection and certification; mineral chain of custody tracking; mineral export and certification; mineral tracking database; third party audits. | Official | ICGLR, The Six Tools of the RINR, English version II, September 2024, pp. 3 to 11 | |
| RCM Manual, second edition (ICGLR, 2019): first edition developed in 2011 with OECD support; second edition approved by the 19th Regional Committee meeting in Ngozi, October 2019. Glossary: an ICGLR Certificate is "a forgery resistant document issued by a Member State" with the Appendix C format, identifying a shipment of Designated Minerals as conforming to the RCM. Section II.1: mine sites inspected annually by a Member State inspector; status Not Inspected (Blue), Valid (Green), Provisionally Valid (Yellow) or Not Valid (Red); green and yellow sites can produce and sell for certified export; a red site cannot produce or sell for a minimum of three months and until re-inspected; blue status for at most three years. Section II.2: chain of custody is "a record of the sequence of individuals or entities which have custody of Designated Minerals as they move through the upstream supply chain"; CoC systems are licensed by Member States; an ICGLR Certificate is required before a lot can be officially exported; CoC documentation kept for five years. Section II.3: third party audits of exporters from mine site to export, governed by a tripartite Audit Committee; exporter status Not Audited (Blue), Valid (Green), Provisionally Valid (Yellow), Not Valid (Red). Section II.4: only green, yellow or blue exporters demonstrating lot conformance receive a certificate from the Member State of export; it "will serve as the sole recognised document that a Designated Mineral export was mined and traded in compliance with the RCM"; each Member State designates a Lead Government Agency that examines each export lot before the certificate is countersigned by an official whose signature is held by the ICGLR Secretariat; records kept five years; a copy accompanies the shipment and a copy goes to the downstream buyer; each certificate includes security and anti-counterfeiting measures; the Secretariat maintains the list of countersignatures and a database of certificate designs accessible to customs. Section II.5: Member States upload mine-site, CoC and exporter data to the Regional Mineral Database maintained by the Secretariat. Appendix C2: minimum content of a certificate: title "ICGLR Certificate", ICGLR logo, the statement "The Designated Mineral in this Lot has been mined, traded and handled in accordance with the Requirements of the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism", issuing Member State, unique serial number, exporter and importer names and addresses, exporter lot number, description with ore type, weight and grade, country or countries of origin, declared customs value in USD, shipment date, route and carrier if known, issuing authority and verifying official, verification date, countersignature, countersignature date, expiry no more than 90 days after issuance, HS code; printed in English and French. Only exporting countries issue certificates; transit actors must show a valid certificate from the exporting country. | Official | ICGLR, Manual of the Regional Certification Mechanism, second edition, 2019: foreword, glossary, Section II.1 to II.5, Appendix C2 | |
| s.178(1): the Directorate is designated as the competent authority for this Part, including mine site inspection and certification for purposes of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (Implementation of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region) Act, 2018 and regulations made under it. s.178(3): the competent authority shall develop and maintain a comprehensive database of mine sites in Uganda that produce designated minerals. s.178(5): the competent authority shall physically inspect each mine site before issuing the first ICGLR Certificate for minerals originating from that site, and thereafter at least once in each year. s.178(6)(a): "designated mineral" means a mineral that originates in or transits through the territory of the Member States, that is subject to the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism and includes gold, cassiterite, coltan and wolframite. s.150(1): no export without an export permit. s.150(4): the permit does not exempt the holder from proof of fees and royalties where applicable, a certificate of origin where applicable, a certificate of analysis authenticated by the country of origin and, for minerals not from Uganda, the origin country's export permit or related documents. s.257(1): knowingly falsifying a certificate of origin of minerals is an offence, fine up to five thousand currency points or imprisonment up to three years or both. | Official | Mining and Minerals Act 2022 (Uganda), assented copy, Part X (ss.178), s.150 and s.257; read in the project's OCR copy, section numbers per research/legal/05 | |
| The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development launched the issuance of the ICGLR Certificate for tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold on 29 November 2023 at Speke Resort Munyonyo; the certificate was already applied in the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, and Uganda is the fifth member state; anyone with rights of exploitation of these minerals shall apply, and the certificate is issued after all validation steps are completed. The release refers readers to the directorate's Regional Certification guide. | Official | Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (Mineral Development Programme) press release, 29 Nov 2023, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| DGSM certification guide, Issue 1, 2022: the RCM is a regional ICGLR standard for certification of designated minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold) sourced from any member state, one of six RINR tools signed into force in December 2010 in Lusaka; the other five tools are harmonisation of national laws, a regional mineral database, formalisation of artisanal mining, EITI and a whistle-blowing mechanism. Who needs to be certified: any individual or company mining, trading (buying, selling, importing and exporting) or seeking to export the four minerals. | Official | Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Mines Department, The Implementation of the Regional Certification Mechanism in Uganda: Certification Guide to 3TG Miners, Issue 1, 2022; text extracted from the PDF on 2 Nov 2026 | |
| Finance Ministry development portal, dated 7 May 2024: Uganda attained the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism, the fifth of the twelve member states after the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania; the mechanism is one of six tools under the RINR, a compulsory regional standard for certification of the 3Ts and gold sourced from or transiting across an ICGLR member state. The page does not name the issuing body. | Official | Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, development portal knowledge centre, 7 May 2024, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| OECD Due Diligence Guidance, third edition (2016), Supplement on Gold, introduction (p. 63): "The development of comprehensive certification schemes, such as the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region certification scheme and tools, or other industry or multi-stakeholder initiatives that provide for verification processes of conflict-free gold sourcing practices consistent with the standards and processes contained in this Guidance may deliver credible assurance that a supply chain does not contribute to conflict or serious human rights abuses." Footnote 61 of the Supplement: in the Great Lakes Region, support for ASM formalisation should be done through the national certification programmes implementing the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism. The Guidance was endorsed by the ICGLR member states in the Lusaka Declaration of 15 December 2010. | Official | OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, third edition, 2016, Supplement on Gold, pp. 63 and 115; text extracted from the PDF on 2 Nov 2026 | |
| The Africa Gold Advisory of 27 June 2023 lists the ICGLR member states as Angola, Burundi, CAR, Republic of Congo, DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia, and notes that the ICGLR adopted a comprehensive ASGM strategy in 2018. | Official | US Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Labor, Homeland Security and USAID, Africa Gold Advisory, 27 June 2023, pp. 7 and 10; text extracted from the PDF on 2 Nov 2026 | |
| Uganda recorded gold exports of approximately 62 tonnes in 2025, the third consecutive year of record exports; the Group of Experts assesses that the surge in gold exports was largely attributable to gold originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | Official | UN Group of Experts on the DRC, final report S/2026/466, para. 212 | |
| New Vision, 28 Sep 2025: the DGSM commissioner said Uganda integrated ICGLR requirements into national law through the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 and formally launched certification in November 2023; a dedicated unit oversees implementation, has registered over 6,000 artisanal miners and designated 50 operational areas; for gold, Uganda is building a traceability system modelled on Tanzania's. The coordinator of the ICGLR Technical Unit on Natural Resources said Uganda has about 52 tin mine sites that should be inspected annually, that Uganda's tin tracking system does not fully comply with ICGLR requirements, and that for gold, "Without a robust traceability system, illegal gold can easily slip into formal supply chains"; the ICGLR is drafting regional guidelines for licensing gold-tracking systems. One company is described as Uganda's only certified tin exporter, having obtained its export permit after an audit by a third-party auditor from the DRC approved by the ICGLR Secretariat. A mining company secretary described the process as "expensive and complex" because independent auditors are mostly not based in Uganda. | Reported | New Vision (Uganda), John Odyek, "Uganda steps up efforts on ICGLR mineral certification, faces challenges in implementation", 28 Sep 2025, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| The Observer (Uganda), 11 Feb 2025: Uganda attained the ICGLR mineral certification scheme in 2024; a member of the ICGLR Audit Committee is reported as saying the scheme has in practice covered only tin, which is bulky and easy to track, unlike gold; the Permanent Secretary's notice of 20 Dec 2024 is reported to require gold purchasers to obtain certificates of origin, to verify the authenticity of gold and to show proof of refining to 99.9%, with import or export permits granted per consignment. | Reported | The Observer (Uganda), URN, 11 Feb 2025, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| KT Press (Rwanda), 30 Apr 2024: the RCM is being implemented by five member states (Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, DR Congo and Burundi) issuing ICGLR certificates on 3T mineral exports, and "some are even issuing ICGLR Certificate on gold exports"; the states issuing for gold are not named. | Reported | KT Press, 30 Apr 2024, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| A ministry public notice of 20 Feb 2026 is reported to require export-permit applicants to present a valid mineral right or refining licence, a completed Form 52, "a certificate of origin where applicable and a certificate of analysis authenticated by the country of origin", and proof of refining to 99.9%. The report does not mention the ICGLR certificate. The notice itself has not been read. | Reported | Eagle Online, 20 Feb 2026, reporting the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, read 2 Nov 2026 | |
| No public count or register of ICGLR certificates issued by Uganda, and no instance of a certificate issued for gold, was found in the DGSM press releases, the DGSM certification guide, the Finance Ministry portal, the ICGLR website or the press reports read. None of the texts read names the Ugandan official who issues or countersigns the certificate. The 2023 ICGLR regulations referred to in a ministry newsletter were not found. Whether the certificate is mandatory for a gold consignment leaving Uganda, and whether it is the "certificate of origin, where applicable" in s.150(4)(b), needs Ugandan counsel. | Subject to verification | Uganda Gold Report search, 2 Nov 2026; research/legal/13, section 8 |