The "International Cyanide Management Code For the Manufacture, Transport, and Use of Cyanide In the Production of Gold" (Code) was developed by a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee under the guidance of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the then- International Council on Metals and the Environment (ICME).
The Code is an industry voluntary program for gold mining companies. It focuses exclusively on the safe management of cyanide and cyanidation mill tailings and leach solutions. Companies that adopt the Code must have their mining operations that use cyanide to recover gold audited by an independent third party to determine the status of Code implementation. Those operations that meet the Code requirements can be certified. A unique trademark symbol can then be utilized by the certified operation. Audit results are made public to inform stakeholders of the status of cyanide management practices at the certified operation.
The objective of the Code is to improve the management of cyanide used in gold mining and assist in the protection of human health and the reduction of environmental impacts.
This area of the web site contains the "Code" and information related to its development and implementation.