Global Witness

General information

Since 1993, Global Witness has run pioneering campaigns against natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses. From Cambodia to Congo, Sierra Leone to Angola, we have exposed the brutality and injustice that results from the fight to access and control natural resource wealth, and have sought to bring the perpetrators of this corruption and conflict to book.

Our work has revealed how, rather than benefiting a country’s citizens, abundant timber, diamonds, minerals, oil and other natural resources can incentivise corruption, destabilise governments, and lead to war. Through our investigations, advocacy and campaigning, we seek solutions to the ‘resource curse’ so that citizens of resource-rich countries can get a fair share of their country’s wealth.

Global Witness' first ever campaign aimed to stop the trade in illegal timber from Cambodia to Thailand which was funding the Khmer Rouge. Within 6 months we achieved an astounding victory: the overland border was closed. This ultimately helped to bring about the final demise of an organisation that had terrorised a generation of Cambodians.

Our campaigning against conflict diamonds in Angola, Sierral Leone, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo led to the creation of the precedent-setting Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and to our joint nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Three years later we contributed to research and campaigning around the 2006 Hollywood blockbuster, Blood Diamond.

Global Witness is largely responsible for natural resources occupying the prominent role in the international agenda that they currently do. We were part of the coalition that successfully campaigned for the creation of the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative.

www.globalwitness.org is the destination on the web for news, reports and information regarding natural resource-related conflict corruption, and associated human rights and environmental abuses.