La République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) a fait des progrès significatifs en matière de divulgation des contrats extractifs. On aurait donc pensé qu’elle serait en bonne voie pour devenir l’un des pays modèles en Afrique subsaharienne en la matière.

The Agyapa gold deal might be a creative solution to Ghana’s current economic constraints, but it is also fraught with risks. Further consideration and public consultation might create the opportunity to strengthen the deal for the benefit of Ghana.

 

The voluntary nature of new EITI guidelines means that comprehensive disclosure of detailed information on purchases by traders is unlikely in the near term. Authorities in jurisdictions where commodity traders are based should move to legally require the disclosure of these sizeable payments.

Investors are paying close attention to the financial consequences of the pandemic on suppliers, but more on the companies themselves than on resource-rich countries. Supplier governance influences the ability of nations and communities to benefit from oil, gas and mining projects, and is central to securing a “social license to operate.”

President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador has pushed an economic agenda that prioritizes the “rescue” of state oil company Pemex. The transition to renewable sources of energy, however, demands increased scrutiny of the government’s plans.

México es un país rico en recursos que ha dependido históricamente del petróleo. Su riqueza petrolera, sin embargo, parece ser una carga: el mayor actor del sector, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), es la compañía petrolera de propiedad nacional más endeudada del mundo.

While women are disproportionately affected by the extractive sector, government policies, laws, and regulations are often blind to the gender-differentiated impacts of the industry. Gender-disaggregated data can help develop more inclusive regulations and guidelines for the natural resource sector.

To achieve essential climate goals, governments and companies must complement electrification policies with enhanced commitments to more transparency across the battery supply chain and better governance in the countries that produce battery minerals.

Governments dependent on revenues from commodities are suffering serious budget crises. While many have sought support from the international financial institutions, made drastic spending cuts, or borrowed heavily, a few are blessed with large sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) or entered the crisis with low debt levels. This post explores SWF trends in resource-rich countries.