Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

CAMBODIA: Cursed by oil and poverty

Kailash — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:04:16 +0000

PHNOM PENH, 25 February 2009 (IRIN) – Having allegedly exhausted Cambodia’s timber resources to fund its 1990s civil war, business and military elites are plundering mining resources while failing to uphold international human rights and transparency standards, a new report warns.

The long-term effects could fuel corruption and contribute to a “resource curse”, whereby a tiny elite soaks up the profits instead of using oil and mining revenues to alleviate poverty, London-based Global Witness states in Country for Sale [see: http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/713/en/coun

BHP investigated for anti-graft violations

Kailash — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:32:59 +0100

SYDNEY – Global miner BHP Billiton has discovered potential violations of anti-graft laws relating to its exploration activities, in another blow to the mining industry’s tarnished image.

The case, under investigation by the U.S. markets watchdog, follows the jailing in China last month of staff from rival Rio Tinto and comes as both mining giants seek regulatory approval for a $116 billion Australian joint venture.

Anglo American challenged at AGM

Kailash — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:43:55 +0100

22 April 2010

Anglo American was challenged at its April 22 AGM in London on a range of issues including a legacy of sickness among former miners in South Africa, removals of communities by subsidiary Anglo Platinum in South Africa and part-owned Cerrejon Coal in Colombia, a defamation case against the lawyer representing residents in some of the communities affected by Anglo Platinum, exploration activities in the Philippines, proposals for a massive copper-gold mine in Alaska, executive pay, lack of a dividend, and corporate governance.

Britain backs 'publish what you pay' rule for oil and mining firms in Africa

Kailash — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:27:11 +0000

Britain is throwing its weight behind European efforts to force oil and mining companies to publish details of every penny they pay to governments in poor countries where they operate.

George Osborne told his fellow G20 finance ministers in Paris on Saturday that the coalition was keen to support an effort by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to throw open the operations of the extractive industries in the developing world to public scrutiny.

“As we enter a new decade when the resources of Africa are going to be heavily developed, I strongly believe it’s in everyone’s interests that

Statement from the AlterNATIVE Mining Indaba 2011

Kailash — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:31:07 +0100

DECLARATION

We, members of Civil Society, having gathered at the alternative Mining Indaba, in Cape Town on 7th -9th February 2011, comprising faith based organisations, NGOs and community based organisations from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Guatemala, Tanzania, Kenya, Swaziland, Zambia, the Netherlands, Norway, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, hereby label the so-called ‘Official Mining Indaba’ 2011 as a gathering of exploitative profit mongers due to the glaring lack of attention paid to vital elements such as environmental degradation, deepening of poverty, slipp

G8 endorses new transparency laws for oil, gas and mining companies

Kailash — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:58:29 +0100

The Canadian mining industry says it welcomes the G8’s announcement Friday to introduce new transparency laws that would require oil, gas and mining companies to disclose the payments they make to governments.

In a communiqué published to mark the end of their meeting in Deauville, France, G8 leaders for the first time committed “to setting in place transparency laws and regulations…that require or encourage oil, gas, and mining companies to disclose the payments they make to governments.”

Such transparency laws would require extractive companies to publish details of the paymen

MEPs call for EU to clean up oil, mining industries

Kailash — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:47:55 +0000

The European Parliament has urged EU countries to clean up the mining and oil industries by publishing what companies pay to get their hands on contracts and by giving legal protection to whistleblowers.

The two reports – on financial transparency by German Green MEP Reinhard Butikofer and on safety standards by British Conservative Vicky Ford – were voted through in Strasbourg on Tuesday (13 September).

MEPs call for EU to clean up oil, mining industries

Kailash — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:35:28 +0000

Reining in Cowboy Mining Companies

Kailash — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:24:31 +0000

WASHINGTON – In the seemingly lawless global free-for-all to lay claim to reserves of the world’s most precious remaining natural resources, experts warn that “cowboy mining companies” are plundering the earth’s riches and leaving little left for the rest.

But laws do exist, and better governance of what is known in technical terms as “resource extraction” can help prevent such abuses, according to University of Oxford economics professor Paul Collier.

Collier, who spoke at World Bank meetings here last week at a panel session hosted by the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI), said civil socie

Europe can improve upon US's 'conflict minerals' legislation

Kailash — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:18:14 +0100

.
The European Union is debating how best to handle the issue of conflict minerals. International Crisis Group says it should not merely follow in the United States’ footsteps, but go further.

Europe is up in the air about how to deal with what is coming out of the ground in conflict zones.

A year ago, the European Parliament asked the Commission to develop a European version of the Dodd-Frank legislation, which establishes disclosure regulations relating to the use of conflict minerals by companies, and was passed by the US Congress in July of 2010.