Civil Society

	Oil Funds: Answer to the Paradox of Plenty? A Policy Brief on Oil Revenue Monitoring Plans: Comparison Across Countries Date: 11/01/2002 Author: Friends of the Earth Are oil funds the panacea to the Paradox of Plenty? Will they ensure that oil revenues are transparently recorded and spent on poverty alleviation and social development priorities? Will the revenues make it to actual programs that deliver real benefits to poor people?...This briefing paper takes a look at some of the recently established oil funds in developing countries, and asks whether these funds will be sufficient to ensure positive development outcomes, given flaws in their structure and difficulties implementing other revenue management funds in more open political environments.
	Report of the Group for Alternative Research and Monitoring of the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project (GRAMP/TC) Date: 11/04/2002 Author: GRAMP TC This report is a result of a second mission by the GRAMP/TC to the Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project, to monitor the socio-economic, legal and environmental aspects of the development in Chad
	Philippine Mining Policies and Land Holdings in the Igorotlandia Date: 01/01/1998 Author: Small Mining International (SMI) The Philippines is perhaps one of the very few countries which had experienced several ways (laws/legislations) of managing its mineral resources, and this has a historical bearing in relation to the development of land tenure in the Igorotlandia (indigenous community in northern Philippines, inhabitants collectively known as Igorots).
	Digging to Development? A historic look at mining and economic development. Date: 10/07/2002 Author: An Oxfam America Report The export of minerals such as gold, silver, copper and zinc is the most important economic activity in many developing countries. Yet despite their mineral wealth, these countries often experience low economic growth and high poverty rates...Despite the problems associated with mineral exports in poor countries, governments in the developing world and international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, continue to promote mining as a pathway out of poverty...
	Submission to World Bank Extractive Industries Review Date: 10/02/2002 Author: Global Witness The first two substantial questions raised in the EIR's Conceptual Framework document ask whether the World Bank Group (WBG) should invest in the extractive industries at all and whether extractive projects can be compatible with the Group's goals of sustainable development and poverty reduction. Global Witness would answer that WBG should only consider engaging with the sector if the revenues arising from such investments and from both transnational and national business partners in any given project are fully transparent and are publicly and accessibly disclosed in the host country.
	World Bank and the Extractive Industries Review Date: 09/24/2002 Author: Carol Welch, Friends of the Earth As people from around the world who have been impacted by World Bank projects in the oil, gas and mining sectors will testify, there is a growing body of evidence of the environmental degradation, human rights abuses, and worsened social conditions associated with extractive projects. By financing these projects, the Bank has contributed to these negative impacts, a violation of its stated mission of poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
	FIAN Report on Human Rights Violations due to gold mining activities by Ghana Australian Goldfields Date: 08/26/2002 Author: Simone Pingel In October 2000, FIAN (FoodFirst Information and Action Network), the Human Rights Organisation for the Right to Feed Oneself, conducted its second Fact-Finding-Mission (FFM) to the Wassa West District of Ghana to investigate the socio-economic impact upon the population due to increasing gold mining activities.
	Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project Date: 08/15/2002 Author: Catholic Relief Services The Chad-Cameroon pipeline project is a $3.7 billion effort involving the ExxonMobil, Chevron, Petronas (the Malaysian state oil company), the World Bank and the governments of Chad and Cameroon...The CRS program for Central Africa, based in Yaounde, Cameroon, has been involved in the pipeline project issue for the last three years, and has worked with the Catholic Church in both Cameroon and Chad to raise their awareness of the importance of the project. CRS has supported the Catholic Peace and Justice Commission in Cameroon with information and strategic advice.
	Extractive Industries in Africa Initiative Date: 08/15/2002 Author: Catholic Relief Services Most ordinary Africans gain little or no benefit from Africa's vast mineral wealth and for many countries in Africa mineral wealth has been more of a curse than a blessing. From the oil fields of Nigeria, Sudan and Angola to the diamond fields of Sierra Leone and the Congo, "extractive industries" such as oil, diamonds, gold and other precious metals have contributed to conflict, corruption and continued poverty and environmental degradation throughout the continent.
	'Decoding Cyanide: An Assessment of Gaps in Cyanide Regulation at Mines', A Submission to the European Union and the United Nations Environmental Programme Date: 02/22/2002 Author: Dr Robert E. Moran Despite assertions to the contrary the evidence demonstrates that regulators, and the industry, have not yet adequately addressed the major issues of public concern that result from the use of cyanide in mining operations...
	Digging for Change: Towards a Responsible Minerals Future, An NGO and Community Perspective Author: A Report from Members of the Global Mining Campaign As the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg approaches, the mining industry is working to improve its image. But...reforming the minerals sector will be an enormous task. Mining corporations and their financiers need to be accountable. While a different attitude in the industry toward environmental and social issues should be helpful, far more than voluntary commitments and vague partnerships...will be required to reform the sector.
	Cyanide Uncertainties: Observations on the Chemistry, Toxicity, and Analysis of Cyanide in Mining-Related Waters Date: 01/01/1998 Author: Robert Moran, Ph.D., Mineral Policy Center The hardrock mining industry has derived big profits from cyanide. This toxic chemical has made it possible for mining companies to mine low-grade ore bodies for microscopic flecks of gold and silver, and still turn a profit. The use of cyanide in mining, however, is becoming more and more controversial...And in recent years, a string of cyanide-related mine accidents has added to community fears and concerns...
	"Treasure or Trash?": The World Bank's Flawed Defense of Mining As A Tool For Economic Development Date: 06/18/2002 Author: Friends of the Earth The World Bank Group's (the Bank) Mining Department has recently begun to produce a series of short papers on the impacts of mining in developing countries. The stated purpose of first paper, entitled Treasure or Trouble? Mining in Developing Countries, is to assess the impacts of mineral sector development on economic growth. But Treasure or Trouble? also has an unstated purpose-- to defend the operations of the Mining Department against growing criticisms that mineral extraction does not contribute much to economic development or poverty alleviation. This is of immediate concern to the Mining Department, since its operations are currently being publicly scrutinized by the World Bank's Extractive Industries Review.
	FOEI Link: Mining (Second Quarter 2002, Issue 101) Date: 06/01/2002 Author: Friends of the Earth International
	Soros Aims to Stop Graft in Energy Projects Date: 06/12/2002 Author: Nicholas Shaxson, Financial Times, FT.com George Soros, the billionaire financier and philanthropist, will launch a campaign on Thursday aimed at stopping governments in the developing world from siphoning off funds for oil and mining projects. Mr Soros, supported by leading non-governmental organisations such as Global Witness, wants to make it mandatory for companies to break down payments, such as taxes and royalties, on a country-by-country basis to individual governments.
	Developing the Community and Business Forum in Kyrgyzstan Date: 04/01/2002 Author: Dr A. Entwistle, E. O'Keefe (Fauna & Flora International), and Mehrdad Nazari (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) The Community and Business Forum (CBF) was first developed in 1999 with the aim of increasing dialogue between business and community in Kyrgyzstan, to bring about long-term social and environmental benefits. In particular, the CBF worked to constructively re-engage a variety of stakeholders following a truck crash in May 1998 which resulted in the partial release of a load of cyanide on-route to the Kumtor gold mine...
	From Words to Deeds: Combating Corruption with Speed Date: 10/17/2001 Author: Presented by Miguel Schloss, Executive Director, Transparency International at the Nigerian Economic Summit, 2001 Corruption is a complex phenomenon and in many cases is the consequence of more deep seated problems of policy distortion, institutional incentives, and governance. Therefore, it cannot be addressed by simple legal acts proscribing corruption. In fact, in virtually all countries, local laws forbid corrupt behavior. Yet, in more cases than is readily admitted, effective efforts to combat corruption have been limited. The reason is that, by definition, in many developing and transition economies, the judiciary, legal enforcement institutions, police, and other legal bodies are unreliable because the rule of law is often fragile and therefore can be captured by corrupt interests.
	Transparency and Governance in the Management of Mineral Wealth Date: 03/14/2002 Author: Presentation by Miguel Schloss, Executive Director, Transparency International at the World Mines Ministers Forum 2002, Toronto, Canada The debate about whether natural resource industries in general, and mining in particular, are part of a sustainable future or a relic of a past industrial age has often been central to discussions about sustainable development and transparent governance, and probably will remain so. The critical question for these industries is: How are they performing in that debate? The answer is: Not too well. The economic consequences of this poor performance -- let alone the impacts on industry reputation -- have been shown to be significant enough to pose the next question with some urgency: What should be done to improve the situation?
	Pocketing Caspian Black Gold: Who are the Real Beneficiaries of Oil Infrastructure Development in Georgia and Azerbaijan? Date: 04/01/2002 Author: Manana Kochladze, published by CEE Bankwatch Network - Energy Project (April 2002) The Caspian Sea's oil reserves are considered at least as large as those in the North Sea, which currently supply about 8% of the world's oil. Caspian region development through existing oil and gas resources exploitation and its appearance on the world market is a usually prescribed recipe from the International Donor Community and G-7 Governments. At the end of the eighties, when socio-economic cataclysms took place in the whole territory of the Former Soviet Union, the South Caucasus countries 1 were not unique in terms of economic crisis;
	Mountains of Gold: Kumtor Gold Mine in Kyrgyz Republic Date: 05/01/2002 Author: CEE Bankwatch Network The mining sector was considered to have great potential for boosting economic development in Kyrgyz Republic. Both the IFIs and the Kyrgyz Government assumed that gold exploration would bring economic benefits, without taking into account impacts of the use of heavy machinery on ex-mining sites, tailings and toxic substances in the mining process. The Kumtor gold mine showed again all the weaknesses and risks associated with the mining sector. This study points out the weaknesses of the environmental management system and the vague monitoring of the company's performance.
	A Survey of Corruption Issues in the Mining & Minerals Sector Date: 03/26/2002 Author: Ian E. Marshall This report was commissioned by IIED's MMSD Project and peer reviewed at an Experts Workshop held in partnership with Transparency International in Berlin on 7 September 2001..... Recognising the international nature of the mining and minerals sector and the moral value of consistent examples of principled action, 'corruption' is defined broadly in this paper to include both private and public corruption and matters that are not necessarily unlawful.....
	The World Bank's 'Extractive Industries Review' Date: 10/31/2001 Author: Forest Peoples Programme The World Bank's Extractive Industries Review (EIR) is an initiative of the World Bank, undertaken at the prompting of mainly US-based NGOs and members of Friends of the Earth-International, to work out how it should deal with the oil, gas and mining sectors. International campaigns with slogans such as 'World Bank: Get your Ass, out of Oil, and Mines and Gas!' ...
	Leaking Operations, Environmental Consequences of World Bank and EBRD involvement in the Russian Oil Sector Date: 11/01/2000 Author: Irina Baranove, CEE Bankwatch Network In Russia, oil and gas sector development poses irreversible damage to the environment. The Soviet heritage of extensive poorly maintained infrastructure, bad operational practices, high level of corruption, lack of control over compliance with environmental standards, and traditional lack of attention to environmental problems enhance this damage.
	Time for a Change. Multilateral Development Bank Energy Investment in CEE Date: 04/01/1998 Author: CEE Bankwatch Network This study is an overview of Mltilateral Development Bank (MDB) investment in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). THe CEE countries include Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Macedonia, Moldova, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
	Heavy Footprint: The World Bank Group and Environment in Europe and Central Asia Date: 11/01/2000 Author: CEE Bankwatch Network
	Extractive Industries and the Poor Date: 10/01/2001 Author: Oxfam UCLA political scientist Michael Ross analyzes the performance on key poverty-related indicators of developing countries that depend on oil and minerals exports. Among his findings are that oil and mineral dependence are strongly correlated with poor health care and high rates of child mortality; oil dependence is correlated with high rates of child malnutrition; and mineral dependence is strongly correlated to lower overall standards of living.
	Raw Materials versus Poverty Date: 09/11/2001 Author: Friends of the Earth Netherlands Raw Materials versus Poverty? - A conference on the role of the World Bank in financing fossil fuel and mining projects - This is an unauthorised official report of the meeting made by Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie). On 12 Sept 2001 about 100 people gathered in the Rode Hoed, Amsterdam, to hear and participate in a discussion on the role of the World Bank in ...
	Phasing out International Financial Institution Financing For Fossil Fuel and Mining Projects, Demanding Local Community Self-determination Date: 07/01/2001 Author: Friends of the Earth "Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is calling for all International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including all Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), to phase-out their financing of fossil fuel and mining projects within a period of five years. Current IFI lending practices in these sectors do not contribute to the eradication of impoverishment and the creation of sustainable societies, as they disregard the finite nature of natural resources and exacerbate rather than ameliorate inequities."
	Hacia la Eliminación Progresiva del Financiamiento de Instituciones Financieras Internacionales para los Proyectos de Minería y Combustibles Fósiles, en Favor de la Autodeterminación de las Comunidades Locales Date: 07/01/2001 Author: Amigos de la Tierra "Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) llama a todas las Instituciones Financieras Internacionales (IFI), incluyendo a todos los Bancos de Desarrollo Multilaterales (BDM) y Agencias de Créditos para las Exportaciones (ACE), a suspender gradualmente sus financiamientos a proyectos de minería y combustibles fósiles en un plazo de cinco años. Para los fines de este trabajo, las IFI se dividen en dos grupos: (1) Bancos Multilaterales de Desarrollo, incluyendo al Grupo del Banco Mundial (IBRD, CFI, IDA, MIGA), ..."
	Pour un arrêt progressif du financement par les institutions financières internationales des projets d'exploitation minière et d'extraction de carburants fossiles, pour l'autodétermination des communautés locales Date: 07/01/2001 Author: Les Amis de la Terre "Les Amis de la Terre International (Friends of the Earth International, FoEI - AdlTI) demande à toutes les Institutions Financières Internationales (International Financial Institutions - IFI), y compris toutes les Banques de Développement Multilatéral (Multilateral Development Banks - BDM) et Agences de Crédit aux Exportations (Export Credit Agencies - ACE), d'arrêter progressivement de financer les projets d'exploitation minière et d'extraction de carburants fossiles d'ici cinq ans. Les financements accordés actuellement par les IFI ..."