• Good governance

Good governance

This paper tests the impact of resource governance on the resource-conflict dynamic. It examines the impact of resource type, abundance and dependence on risk and duration of violent conflict, whilst also exploring the importance of the governance of natural resources in preventing or overcoming the resource-curse.

It is argued that for many developing countries, the extraction of natural resources has been a blessing, as their export can provide urgently needed development capital. For others, however, resource wealth has been a curse, as their population still faces extreme poverty and they have been haunted by corruption, government failure and violent conflict. The paper confirms that good governance can effectively contribute to the prevention of resource-related conflict and help alleviate the results of the resource curse on poor developing countries. It further argues that steps currently under-way internationally to boost the governance of natural resources are encouraging in that it will be possible to break the resource-conflict trap and improve the living conditions for those in most need.

Key conclusions include that:

• the relationship between natural resources and violent conflict is shaped to a large extent by the quality of the governance of those resources, which in turn is a correlate of good governance in general
  
• resource abundance as well as resource dependence positively correlate with both the risk and the duration of violent conflict
  
• strengthening governance is a concrete measure the international community must take to reverse the resource curse and build peace and development
  
• effectiveness of resource governance can be improved through the development of measures to reduce corruption as well as the transparent management of revenues for purposes of sustainable and diversified development.
  

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