Global Witness - Breaking the links between natural resources, conflict and corruption

image of man panning diamonds

keyword

campaign/category

language

sort by

type






Opportunity for the new Congolese government to fundamentally reform the natural resource sector

Briefing Document – 22/03/2007

  

  

Global Witness today urged President Joseph Kabila and the new Congolese government to seize the momentum of the post-election period to implement fundamental reforms in the mining and forest sectors. 

In its Agenda for Reform in the Natural Resource Sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), published today, Global Witness recommends priority actions to the government of the DRC aimed at ending state looting and corruption, preventing natural resources from fuelling conflict and ensuring that natural resources contribute to development.

Global Witness welcomed the new government's commitments to increasing transparency and respect for the rule of law, outlined in the Contract of Governance (March-December 2007) published in February 2007.   

"The emphasis on justice and the fight against corruption in the Contract of Governance is an important step in the right direction," said Patrick Alley, Director at Global Witness.  "We are now calling on President Kabila and his newly-appointed government to demonstrate strong political will to ensure that these do not remain empty promises."

Global Witness's Agenda for Reform includes concrete recommendations in the following areas:

  • Ensuring transparency and fairness in mining contracts
  • Eradicating corruption and promoting transparency
  • Improving labour conditions of artisanal workers
  • Strengthening and extending administrative oversight and export control
  • Ensuring the sustainable management of the DRC's forests
  • Protecting civil society from intimidation, threats and harassment

Among other things, Global Witness is urging the government to initiate an independent review of mining contracts, including those signed during the transition (2003-2006), and to cancel or substantially renegotiate contracts which have been drawn up illegally or provide no significant benefits to the country.

The Agenda for Reform also highlights the urgency of preserving the DRC's forests.  It warns of the devastating consequences of uncontrolled logging, not only for the millions of people dependent on the forests for their livelihood but also in terms of the forests' importance to climate change.  

"Global Witness is calling on President Kabila to lead the world in the battle against climate change, to reject industrial-scale logging and preserve the DRC's forests for the Congolese people, for the global good and for the future," said Patrick Alley.

Highlighting the culture of impunity as one of the major obstacles to change, Global Witness called on the government to bring to justice those responsible for the large-scale looting and illegal exploitation of natural resources in the DRC over the last ten years and to challenge the view that certain individuals and companies are above the law.

Global Witness is also appealing to donor governments and international financial institutions to support these initiatives, in recognition of the fact that the DRC continues to suffer from a serious lack of capacity after ten years of conflict.

 

For further information, please contact Carina Tertsakian on +44 207 561 6372.

Other Languages

French

Downloads

application/pdf natural_resource_sector_reform...march_07_en.pdf

DonateDonate Button graphic

Latest Publications

February 2010

Global Witness Vacancy - Senior Climate Campaigner
Global Witness is recruiting for an experienced senior campaigner to work with two of the Founder Directors, to shape and implement Global Witness' new Climate Campaign. The campaign is an advocacy based campaign on climate change and energy security.

Senate shines welcome spotlight on U.S. facilitation of corruption
A senate subcommittee hearing this week will expose how foreign politicians have used the services of American lawyers, bankers, lobbyists and other professionals, to bring millions of suspect dollars into the country.

January 2010

New report urges UN to learn lessons on resource-fuelled wars
The UN and Member States must do more to address the role of natural resources in incentivising, financing and preventing resolution of conflict, according to a new report from Global Witness, which draws on lessons from countries including the DRC, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Global Witness launches pioneering forest transparency website
Natural-resource campaign group Global Witness is today publishing the first ever Forest Sector Transparency Report Card via a dedicated website, www.foresttransparency.info. The launch will take place at an illegal logging update meeting today, hosted by Chatham House in London.

Proposed changes to Liberian forest laws would open way for devastating logging and slash government revenues
Changes to Liberia's forestry law proposed by the Liberian Timber Association would dramatically reduce revenue for the state and are not in the best interests of the country.

Ghana controversy shows need to shine a light on oil deals
A controversy over allegations of corruption in the oil industry, which broke last week in Ghana, shows the need for much greater openness in the way in which companies gain access to the oil reserves of developing countries.

Browse publications listred arrow pointer graphic

Get a text-only version
of this page
red arrow pointer graphic