extractives industry

A new Oxfam survey of 40 oil, gas and mining companies has found that they are warming to the idea of disclosing their lucrative deals signed with governments, but much work remains to be done.

This case study assesses the extent of Tullow Oil’s compliance with the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Turkana County, Kenya.It examines the company’s engagement in selected communities and finds that, while community engagement processes have improved in important ways, it has yet to achieve FPIC.

Oxfam hailed today’s passing of a law banning metallic mining by the Salvadoran government. The law comes after years of violence and social tensions around mining in the country and strong opposition to mining from more than 77% of the country’s population.

In response to the latest Panama Papers leak that exposes how Africa is being deprived billions of dollars in natural resource revenues due to offshore deals, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said governments are just not doing enough to stop illicit flows, tax evasion and tax avoidance.

Africa is losing billions to corruption, poorly negotiated deals and tax dodging. Leaders must listen to their people. They must crack down on tax dodging and maximize progressive revenues to create a more human economy for Africa.

Extractive industries present potentially large opportunities for developing countries. Oxfam has produced a detailed study of the political economy of decision making, with research conducted in Peru, Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania.

Oxfam raised the alarm today that a leading global transparency initiative for the oil, gas and mining sector faces a crisis of relevance and legitimacy. As the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) meets for its Global Conference in Lima, Peru this week, Oxfam calls on the EITI Board and stakeholders to regain its position as a leader in reforming the industry.

As conflicts with local communities are a problem for oil, gas and mining companies around the world, a new report by Oxfam finds that the number of mining companies with commitments to “Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)” has almost tripled since 2012. 

For many communities, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) represents a critical tool for ensuring that they have a say in whether and how extractive industry projects move forward. This policy brief examines publicly available corporate commitments regarding community rights and community engagement.