Global Witness - Breaking the links between natural resources, conflict and corruption
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making the forest sector transparent
~~ New! 2009 Report Card website and press release
Making the Forest Sector Transparent is working with civil society groups in forest-rich countries to engage with policy makers and advocate for capable, responsive and accountable forest sector governance. The project supports local environmental and human rights campaigners in up to eight countries to monitor transparency and to advocate on issues of importance to local communities.
We launched the first ever Forest Sector Transparency Report Card, as a website, on 21 January 2009. The pilot report card consists of some seventy 'yes/no' questions on the availability of information across 15 themes, including:
- Freedom of information laws
- Forest policy and laws
- Forest and land tenure
- Permit allocation process
- Logging operations
- Oil / mining permits and information
- Taxes, revenues, and redistribution
The report assesses and compares this information critical to forest use and management in four countries: Peru, Ghana, Cameroon and Liberia. It takes a right-based approach, looking top-down at the legal obligations each state has to enhance transparency and participation in decision making (including reference to the individual country Constitution, any Freedom of Information legislation, and any sector-specific laws), and bottom-up, working with forest-dependent communities to identify information needs in order that communities can assert their rights, and hold duty-bearers (government and others) to account.
For further information please go to our dedicated Forest Transparency Report Card website (opens in new window).
Other links:
January 2010 Global Witness launches pioneering forest transparency website press release html or pdf (English only)
June 2009 Project Update (English only)
November 2008 project-launch press release (also available in French and Spanish).
The project team can be contacted on im@globalwitness.org or foresttransparency@globalwitness.org.
Latest Publications
September 2010
Global Witness stands by findings on Sudanese oil data
Global Witness today refuted claims that it had apologized for the findings of its September 2009 report, Fuelling Mistrust, on the lack of transparency in Sudan's oil sector. The organisation said that although very important commitments on improving transparency were made recently by the Government of National Unity (GoNU), the full disclosure of oil revenue data and the results of an independent audit remain necessary to prove the concerns were unfounded.
August 2010
Global Witness welcomes Norwegian government disinvestment from predatory loggers Samling
Global Witness welcomes the Norwegian Government Pension Fund's decision to disinvest from the notorious Malaysian timber giant Samling. Global Witness has previously exposed illegal logging by Samling in Cambodia as well as evidence of legal breaches by two Samling-associated companies in Liberia.
Global Witness welcomes new commitment to transparency in Sudan
Global Witness has participated in a landmark seminar on oil revenue transparency in Khartoum, organised by the Sudanese government and attended by foreign oil companies. We welcome the commitment to increase transparency, including an audit of the oil sector and publication of key production and revenue figures.
Global Witness applauds RBS penalty over terrorist financing
Global Witness welcomes the decisive action taken by the UK financial regulator, the FSA, which has fined the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) £5.6 million for failing to check whether its customers were on the UK terrorist sanctions list.
Campbell testimony shines light on blood diamonds and the importance of international justice
Global Witness is attending the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor in The Hague as supermodel Naomi Campbell is called to testify. The event offers a useful reminder of the role of natural resources in funding conflict, and of the importance of pursuing justice for the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
