This report explores how the illicit trade in cobalt and copper in Katanga (south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) is contributing to the destruction of the country’s economy, the environment as well as the livelihoods of thousands of Congolese people.As the report demonstrates, the volume of the illegal mineral trade is immense. In March 2004 the Central Bank of Congo reported the DRC produced 783 tonnes of cobalt metal.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has the potential to improve the contribution of extractive industries (EI) to sustainable development and poverty reduction. However, this report by the WBG’s operations evaluation departments finds that although its EI projects have produced positive economic and financial results, it has not been successful in ensuring compliance to environmental and social safeguards.

This report exposes how these last precious forests in the Indonesian archipelago, particularly in the province of Papua are being felled illegally and sold off wholesale to China, which is now the largest consumer of stolen timber in the world.It highlights the following points:there is a complex web of middlemen and financiers from across the region responsible for masterminding the theft of Indonesia’s forests, including timber barons in Jakarta, officials on their payrolls, multinational companies in Malaysia, brokers in Singapore and log dealers in Hong Kong in just a few short years,

This report argues that for many developing countries, oil reserves are more likely to prove a curse than a blessing. Poor countries dependent on oil revenues have a higher incidence of four great and interconnected ills.

The purpose of this Source Book is to provide guidance to resource rich countries and extractive industries companies on the key steps and additional actions for implementing EITI. The Source Book is in two complementary parts: the first provides guidance for resource rich countries; the second for extractive industry companies.Guidance for Resource Rich CountriesIn order to reach consensus on the development and planning of EITI a number of key actions have to be undertaken by the government throughout the initiation phase.

Based on case studies of mining in South Africa and Zambia, this article assesses CSR practices with accountability and fairness as key criteria.Main findings and conclusions of the report are:CSR is an increasingly prominent discourse also in southern Africa, particularly among mining companies due to mining’s potentially significant negative social and environmental impacts as well as inherent finiteness of the resource bodyaccountability - the emphasis on identifying and mitigating the impacts of core business practices - and fairness - the emphasis on helping the most vulnerable - are k

The development of international mining projects is one of the most visible consequences of globalisation. But developments in the mining industry are the cause of about 10.3 percent of all displacements in the world. This means that more than a million people per year may be resettled as a result of resource extraction in various parts of the globe. Countries displaying the greatest growth rate of this phenomenon include India, China, Ghana, and many other African counties.

Will an oil pipeline investment agreement between the governments of Chad and Cameroon and a consortium led by ExxonMobil, including Chevron and Petronas pose a serious threat to human rights in Chad and Cameroon?

Mutual suspicion has characterised the relationship between the South African government and mining companies, particularly in recent years. Resolving the current impasse would require a panoply of policy interventions because of the complexity and age of the mining industry. This briefing proposes that one such intervention could be the introduction of a structured workplace secondment programme between the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and mining companies – together identifying critical areas for co-operation and skills transfer.

Report looks at the role of diamond sales in funding of conflict situations, focusing on countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola.Website includes reports from the newspaper, plus an online dicussion forum

Environmental,  social  and  governance  (ESG)  concerns  are  an  increasingly  important  factor worldwide for banks when they invest in large projects. In the Southern African region with its rich mineral deposits, this trend has added importance. Mining companies extract minerals from the ground, and their activities routinely give rise to public concerns about the pollution of water sources, adequate land for agriculture, and fair community participation in mining projects.

This report analyses all aspects of the metals mining industry, the extraction process, its products, and its social and environmental impacts.