Extractive Industries
This key issue guide presents some of the key themes around extractive industries and development. The guide is divided into the key extractive industry sectors: oil, diamonds and mining. Each section gives a brief introduction to the topic and examines some of the key challenges.
- Loopholes in the Kimberley Process
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• Internal controls of some of the countries participating in the Kimberley process are not working well enough. A mechanism that would temporarily suspend a country with significant compliance issues might be one of the solutions to the problem. Stronger enforcement measures should also form a basic part of each participant’s internal controls and should be added to the certification scheme’s minimum standards.
The oil and gas industry
A large body of evidence suggests that rich oil resources obstruct democracy and equitable economic growth in developing countries because of a lack of transparency, and therefore accountability, in oil revenues paid by oil companies to governments. Civil society, governments and oil companies themselves have advocated and implemented mechanisms and policy changes aimed at tackling the 'resource curse'. More...The diamond industry
Diamonds have been used to fund long running conflicts, contributing to the suffering of millions caught up in them. The big industry players and governments have now developed the Kimberley Process - a certification scheme designed to stop these so called 'Blood Diamonds' reaching the international market. But many question the validity of the process, which is voluntary and therefore, some say, lacks bite. More...The mining industry
Increasingly, 'sustainable' mining has entered the discourse of the mining industry and international donor organisations. While a number of initiatives have sought to define what practices would constitute socially and environmentally responsible mining, the concept remains controversial. More...More on the extractive industries: the complete listings from Eldis
