mining

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.

In most countries, subsoil oil, gas and mining resources are the property of citizens and are managed on their behalf by governments. Oxfam believes that citizens have a right to know the full terms under which oil, gas and mineral resources are developed and sold, to enable them to assess whether the public benefits claimed are likely to become reality.

“This is very troubling news, but sadly it’s part of a dangerous trend. All over the world we’re seeing a new rush for land, often with deadly consequences for local rights defenders," said Rashmi Mistry, head of Oxfam's GROW campaign.

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.

Oxfam hailed today’s ruling against mining company OceanaGold, which effectively ended the company’s lawsuit against El Salvador for not granting it a mining permit.

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.

This report outlines Oxfam's pan-African program on mining, oil, and gas issues in Africa. It highlights our strategic objectives and  country-specific plans. 

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. 

Oxfam is urging President Obama and African leaders to make bold commitments to help transform African institutions into models of transparency and accountability.