Report

Do No Harm: A guide for companies sourcing from the DRC

8th July 2010
Rebels, militias and army units have hijacked the trade in mineral ores from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while subjecting the civilian population to massacres, rape, extortion, forced labour and forced recruitment of child soldiers. Congo's ‘conflict minerals' are laundered into the global supply chain by export houses, before being transformed into refined metals by large international smelting firms.

Rebels, militias and army units have hijacked the trade in mineral ores from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while subjecting the civilian population to massacres, rape, extortion, forced labour and forced recruitment of child soldiers. Congo's ‘conflict minerals' are laundered into the global supply chain by export houses, before being transformed into refined metals by large international smelting firms.

Return of the Blood Diamond: The deadly race to control Zimbabwe's new-found diamond wealth

14th June 2010
Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF political and military elite are seeking to capture the country’s diamond wealth through a combination of state-sponsored violence and the legally questionable introduction of opaque joint-venture companies. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, set up to end the trade in conflict diamonds, has repeatedly failing to react effectively to the crisis.

Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF political and military elite are seeking to capture the country’s diamond wealth through a combination of state-sponsored violence and the legally questionable introduction of opaque joint-venture companies. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, set up to end the trade in conflict diamonds, has repeatedly failed to react effectively to the crisis.

A near miss? Lessons learnt from the allocation of mining licences in the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone

25th February 2010
Between 2005 and 2007, two mining licences were issued in the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone, even though the area was a proposed national park. This new report identifies weaknesses in Sierra Leone's natural resource governance and attempts to draw lessons for the future.

Between 2005 and 2007, two mining licences were issued in the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone, even though the area was a proposed national park. This new report identifies weaknesses in Sierra Leone's natural resource governance and attempts to draw lessons for the future.

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Lessons UNlearned: How the UN and Member States must do more to end resource-fuelled conflict

27th January 2010
Drawing on Global Witness’ experience in Angola, Cambodia, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, this report aims to promote understanding of, and a strategy for dealing with, the problem of natural resource wealth incentivising, financing, and preventing resolution of conflicts.

Drawing on Global Witness’ experience in Angola, Cambodia, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, this report aims to promote understanding of, and a strategy for dealing with, the problem of natural resource wealth incentivising, financing, and preventing resolution of conflicts.

Read the press release.  

Read letter in response from UN Special Representative, Alan Doss

 

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Building Confidence in REDD - Monitoring Beyond Carbon

4th December 2009
This report is intended to inform the development of a monitoring system for REDD that goes beyond the measurement, reporting and verification of emissions reductions and carbon stored in forests (C-MRV). It identifies governance challenges and the risks presented to investment by weak governance and extensive illegality in REDD countries, and provides the rationale for a broad-based robust monitoring system.

This report is intended to inform the development of a monitoring system for REDD that goes beyond the measurement, reporting and verification of emissions reductions and carbon stored in forests (C-MRV). It identifies governance challenges and the risks presented to investment by weak governance and extensive illegality in REDD countries, and provides the rationale for a broad-based robust monitoring system.

A Decade of Experience - Lessons Learned from Independent Forest Monitoring to Inform REDD

4th December 2009
The evidence base for the proposal on the independent monitoring of REDD.

Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) has been developed over the last decade to monitor logging, legal compliance and forest law enforcement. Through the provision of publicly accessible, objective information on the control of activities in the forest sector, IFM addresses governance and transparency and supports forest law enforcement. IFM is, in effect, a form of systems or governance monitoring. This report presents a detailed review and analysis of lessons learned from implementing IFM in practice.

Field investigation into illegal logging in Madagascar

26th November 2009
A dramatic increase in the felling and cutting of rosewood has occurred in the SAVA Region of north-east Madagascar in 2009. A joint investigation by Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency found serious failings on the part of members of the Forest Administration, the national police and other Malagasy authorities.

Important note: we have revised some of the figures in this report since it was first published. An explanation of the corrections can be read here.

Read the revised press release here.

Watch video - Village life in affected area

The Secret Life of a Shopaholic: How an African dictator's playboy son went on a multi-million dollar shopping spree in the U.S.

17th November 2009
This new report from Global Witness was written with the help of investigative journalist Ken Silverstein.

This new report from Global Witness was written with the help of investigative journalist Ken Silverstein.

Read the press release.

A Disharmonious Trade: China and the continued destruction of Burma's northern frontier forests

21st October 2009
This is the third in a series of reports on illegal logging in Burma, is based on field research carried out between 2005 and 2009 in Kachin State, along the Burma-China border, and on China's eastern seaboard. The field research is supported by an analysis of the latest trade data which shows that imports of logs and sawn wood across the land border from Burma fell by more than 70% between 2005 and 2008.

This is the third in a series of reports on illegal logging in Burma. It is based on field research carried out between 2005 and 2009 in Kachin State, along the Burma-China border, and on China's eastern seaboard. The field research is supported by an analysis of the latest trade data which shows that imports of logs and sawn wood across the land border from Burma fell by more than 70% between 2005 and 2008.

Read the press release

Heads in the Sand: Governments Ignore the Oil Supply Crunch and Threaten the Climate

20th October 2009
This report argues that governments have failed to acknowledge a looming oil supply crunch. Their collective failure means we have lost a decade in which action could have been taken. Recognition of the oil supply crunch would also have injected a sense of urgency and increased ambition in climate change negotiations.

This report argues that governments have failed to acknowledge a looming oil supply crunch. Their collective failure means we have lost a decade in which action could have been taken. Recognition of the oil supply crunch would also have injected a sense of urgency and increased ambition into climate change negotiations.

Read press release

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