Naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie will today attend the HSBC annual general meeting to seek answers from the board of directors over the bank’s lending to companies destroying Borneo’s rainforests. The companies that... read more
News and reports
22.05.2013 | Liberian government publishes landmark resource audit, but urgently needs to address findings
Publication of a full audit of how Liberia awarded its resource concessions between 2009 and 2011 is a global first, said campaigning watchdog Global Witness today. The audit, which was published last week, reveals... read more
21.05.2013 | Danzer dropped by FSC over “unacceptable activities “in Congo; victims still await justice
Global Witness welcomes today's decision by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to dissociate itself from the Danzer Group, in light of accusations of human rights abuses in the Democratic... read more
Cambodia | Illegal Logging | Laos | Forests | Land Deals
Global Witness understands that Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) CEO Doan Nguyen Duc held a press conference during which the company contested evidence in Global Witness’ report ‘Rubber Barons’. This report highlights how the... read more
Read this press release in English
El proyecto de construcción de una carretera de 270 km de longitud atravesando la Amazonía peruana está plagado de incumplimientos de la ley y posibles conflictos de intereses, según... read more
Leer este comunicado en Español
Plans to build a 270 km highway through the Peruvian Amazon are mired in legal violations and potential conflicts of interest, said Global Witness in a new report today.
The Purús highway... read more
14.05.2013 | Bill Oddie evicted from HSBC HQ while protesting against bank’s role in Malaysian rainforest destruction
Naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie has been filmed being evicted from HSBC’s London headquarters while protesting against the bank’s business ties to companies that are illegally destroying rainforests and abusing human... read more
13.05.2013 | International Finance Corporation and Deutsche Bank bankrolling Vietnamese land grabs in Cambodia and Laos
Cambodia | Illegal Logging | Laos | Forests | Land Deals
Click here to read the report and watch the film
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Deutsche Bank are financing Vietnamese rubber companies driving a wave of land and forest "grabs" in Cambodia and... read more
简体中文
The European Union agreed the EU Timber Regulations (EUTR) in 2010, making it illegal as of 3 March 2013 for any company to place illegally harvested timber or products made from illegal timber on the EU market.... read more
09.05.2013 | Oil law before Congo parliament fails to safeguard against corruption or environmental damage – Global Witness
Planned revisions to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s hydrocarbons law contain major flaws that could allow gross mismanagement of the country’s oil wealth and serious environmental impacts. The draft text,... read more
Global Witness welcomes a new audit recommending that the Liberian government take immediate action to address systematic gaps in compliance with laws on how its natural resources are allocated. The report, commissioned... read more
US investment bank Goldman Sachs appears to have turned a blind eye to glaring corruption risks and conflicts of interest in order to underwrite US$1.6 billion in bonds for the Sarawak State Government, Malaysia, said... read more
30.04.2013 | Logging in the shadows: how vested interests abuse shadow permits to evade forest sector reforms
Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is undermining efforts to fight deforestation and keep illegal timber out of the EU, says a new report... read more
Click here to download this report
Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué de presse en français
简体中文
Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is... read more
Global Witness joins Cambodian activists and citizens in commemorating the death of Chut Wutty, the Director of environmental watchdog Natural Resource Protection Group (NRPG), who was murdered a year ago today by... read more
Naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie will today attend the HSBC annual general meeting to seek answers from the board of directors over the bank’s lending to companies destroying Borneo’s rainforests. The companies that... read more
22.05.2013 | Liberian government publishes landmark resource audit, but urgently needs to address findings
Publication of a full audit of how Liberia awarded its resource concessions between 2009 and 2011 is a global first, said campaigning watchdog Global Witness today. The audit, which was published last week, reveals... read more
21.05.2013 | Danzer dropped by FSC over “unacceptable activities “in Congo; victims still await justice
Global Witness welcomes today's decision by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to dissociate itself from the Danzer Group, in light of accusations of human rights abuses in the Democratic... read more
Cambodia | Illegal Logging | Laos | Forests | Land Deals
Global Witness understands that Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) CEO Doan Nguyen Duc held a press conference during which the company contested evidence in Global Witness’ report ‘Rubber Barons’. This report highlights how the... read more
Read this press release in English
El proyecto de construcción de una carretera de 270 km de longitud atravesando la Amazonía peruana está plagado de incumplimientos de la ley y posibles conflictos de intereses, según... read more
Leer este comunicado en Español
Plans to build a 270 km highway through the Peruvian Amazon are mired in legal violations and potential conflicts of interest, said Global Witness in a new report today.
The Purús highway... read more
14.05.2013 | Bill Oddie evicted from HSBC HQ while protesting against bank’s role in Malaysian rainforest destruction
Naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie has been filmed being evicted from HSBC’s London headquarters while protesting against the bank’s business ties to companies that are illegally destroying rainforests and abusing human... read more
13.05.2013 | International Finance Corporation and Deutsche Bank bankrolling Vietnamese land grabs in Cambodia and Laos
Cambodia | Illegal Logging | Laos | Forests | Land Deals
Click here to read the report and watch the film
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Deutsche Bank are financing Vietnamese rubber companies driving a wave of land and forest "grabs" in Cambodia and... read more
09.05.2013 | Oil law before Congo parliament fails to safeguard against corruption or environmental damage – Global Witness
Planned revisions to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s hydrocarbons law contain major flaws that could allow gross mismanagement of the country’s oil wealth and serious environmental impacts. The draft text,... read more
Global Witness welcomes a new audit recommending that the Liberian government take immediate action to address systematic gaps in compliance with laws on how its natural resources are allocated. The report, commissioned... read more
US investment bank Goldman Sachs appears to have turned a blind eye to glaring corruption risks and conflicts of interest in order to underwrite US$1.6 billion in bonds for the Sarawak State Government, Malaysia, said... read more
Click here to download this report
Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué de presse en français
简体中文
Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is... read more
Global Witness joins Cambodian activists and citizens in commemorating the death of Chut Wutty, the Director of environmental watchdog Natural Resource Protection Group (NRPG), who was murdered a year ago today by... read more
A criminal complaint filed today by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and Global Witness accuses a senior manager of Swiss and German timber manufacturer the Danzer Group of aiding and... read more
19.03.2013 | Corruption in Malaysia laid bare as investigation catches Sarawak’s ruling elite on camera
简体中文
A new investigation by Global Witness today reveals the systemic corruption and illegality at the heart of government in Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state. A film, shot undercover during the investigation, shows... read more
简体中文
The European Union agreed the EU Timber Regulations (EUTR) in 2010, making it illegal as of 3 March 2013 for any company to place illegally harvested timber or products made from illegal timber on the EU market.... read more
30.04.2013 | Logging in the shadows: how vested interests abuse shadow permits to evade forest sector reforms
Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is undermining efforts to fight deforestation and keep illegal timber out of the EU, says a new report... read more
19.04.2013 | Open Letter to Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud accepting offer of debate on land and forest use
Dear Chief Minister Taib,
In an interview with the Let’s Talk programme on The Malaysian Observer, you challenged Global Witness to a debate on the allegations of corruption, land grabbing and tax evasion shown in the... read more
02.11.2012 | In the future, there will be no forests left
Click here to read the press release
HSBC has bankrolled logging companies causing widespread environmental destruction and human rights abuses in Sarawak, Malaysia, violating its sustainability policies and earning... read more
Click here to read the press release.
Click here for response from DRC government.
Industrial logging companies and officials are systematically abusing community logging permits in order to bypass the Democratic... read more
04.09.2012 | Signing Their Lives Away: Liberia’s Private Use Permits and the Destruction of Community-Owned Rainforest
Read press release on this issue
Click here for Government announcement of investigation into this issue.
A quarter of Liberia’s total landmass has been granted to logging companies in just two years,... read more
07.05.2012 | China programme
简体中文
China is the most important emerging global power and major operator in natural resource extraction around the world. The country’s supply of natural resources is seen as a key element in the drive for sustaining... read more
Read report
Read press release
Since 2008, the rush for land in developing countries has rapidly intensified but the sector remains largely unregulated and land deals are frequently agreed in secret between... read more
27.02.2012 | Safeguarding REDD+ Finance: Ensuring transparent and accountable international financial flows
Funding forest protection in developing countries poses numerous financial risks: from inefficient allocation through to mismanagement of funds, misappropriation and corruption.
Financial flows from donors to developing... read more
Please see the attached letter from seven international non-governmental organizations, experts on the topic of illegal logging in Madagascar, to the Minister of Environment and Forests of Madagascar, regarding the... read more
30.11.2011 | External briefing on Safeguarding REDD+
This briefing, carries out by consultant group LTS International, examines existing systems for ensuring that finance for the UN's Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation scheme, under which rich... read more
24.11.2011 | Global Witness chapter for European Commission report: What are the risks for investing in REDD+ countries?
In recent years, new and significant amounts of money have been committed by the international community in an effort to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+). While this new... read more
27.09.2011 | Forest Carbon, Cash and Crime
Read executive summary of this report in Chinese
Corruption in the forest sector has until now been overwhelmingly linked to logging, both illegal and legal, which in many countries has led to significant... read more
A principios de abril de 2011, después de algunos contactos iniciales entre Honduras y la Unión Europea (UE) efectuados a mediados de 2010, se llevaron a cabo una serie de reuniones y talleres en Honduras con el... read more
04.08.2011 | Pandering to the Loggers: WWF fails to address key concerns outlined in Global Witness report
Last week, Global Witness’ report Pandering to the Loggers exposed significant failings in WWF’s flagship sustainable timber scheme, the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN). Global Witness is concerned that WWF’s... read more
By Tom Picken - read this blog on Reuters Trustlaw
International efforts to protect forests and the people that live in them have failed so badly that just 20 per cent of forest remains untouched by commercial activity... read more
02.02.2010 | Serial optimists disguise urgency of energy concerns
By Simon Taylor, Founding Director
Geoffrey Smith's piece, Energy Guru brings good news to Davos centring on Pulitzer prize winner Daniel Yergin's exuberance about future global oil supply, is typical of the over-... read more
Blog from Global Witness Director, Patrick Alley
If the organisation of the climate talks in Copenhagen is anything to go by, even the best-intentioned negotiations would be lucky to succeed. Queues hundreds of metres... read more
07.02.2011 | Time Magazine - Forests vs. Food?
Time Magazine's Ecocentric Blog: Forests vs. Food? read more
Back in 2009 it was heralded as a potential model for reducing rates of deforestation and REDD+ but Nowary's deal with Guyana appears to have made little progress, writes Girish Gupta. read more
Consumer demand for rosewood furniture and musical instruments is driving illegal logging in Madagascar's national parks, endangering wildlife and undermining local community livelihoods, according to a new report from... read more
26.10.2010 | BBC World - China fuels Madagascar timber crisis
Soaring demand in China and political unrest in Madagascar are fuelling illegal logging for hardwoods in the African nation, a report concludes.
BBC World - China fuels Madagascar timber crisis read more
Liberia is seeking to prosecute a British citizen for bribery in a proposed carbon deal that would have given him control of a fifth of the West African country's rainforests, the government said.
Reuters –... read more
What we're reading
Global Witness in the press
For general enquiries please contact +44 (0)207 492 5820, mail@globalwitness.org.
For urgent out of hours enquiries please contact Andrea Pattison on +44 (0)797 010 3083.
