The Role of NGOs

1
The Role of NGOs and Civil Society Beyond
Holding Companies and Governments Accountable
Rees Warne Policy Advisor for Extractive
Industries Catholic Relief Services February
29, 2008
2
Civil Society as an Ally

• NGOs like CRS have to care about mining because
  mining affects the people we work with at many
  levels
• Involvement of NGOs/civil society can support
  common interests and improve outcomes for
  everyone
• Sustainable development requires governments,
  companies and civil society to work together

3
Publish What You Pay

• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Chad
• Congo Brazzaville
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• France
• Gabon
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Indonesia

• The Publish What You Pay campaign (a coalition
  of more than 300 NGOs worldwide) aims to help
  citizens of resource-rich countries hold their
  governments accountable for the management of
  revenues from the oil, gas and mining industries.
• When properly managed these revenues should
  serve as a basis for poverty reduction, economic
  growth and development rather than exacerbating
  corruption, conflict and social divisiveness.

• Kazakhstan
• The Kyrgyz Republic
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mongolia
• The Netherlands
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Peru
• Sierra Leone
• Timor-Leste
• United States
• United Kingdom

4
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

• Founded in 1943
• By the Catholic Bishops of the United States
• To serve World War II survivors in Europe

• CRS Now
• Works in more than 100 countries nad has offices
  in 50 countries
• Reaches more than 80 million people
• Works through local partners
• Is part of Caritas Internationalis
• Serves people based solely on need, regardless of
  race, religion or ethnicity

5
Why CRS Cares about Mining

• CRS cares about mining because
• Mining affects the people that we work with
• Exploitation of national natural wealth has not
  had as many benefits as it could
• Our constituents in many countries where we work
  have asked us to

6
The Resource Curse

• Resource-rich countries tend to have
• High (and growing) levels of poverty
• Extreme income inequalities
• Greater risk of conflict (33 vs. 6)
• Low levels of citizen participation
• High levels of corruption

7
Key Issues for Civil Society

• People tend to want
• Health
• Secure livelihood
• Balance between costs and benefits
• Positive relationships with others
• Respect and a say in their own lives

8
Local Impacts of Mining

• Health
• Contamination of water, air and soil
• HIV/AIDS
• Environmental contamination
• Displacement/resettlement
• Loss of livelihoods
• Mine closing
• Responsibility for long-term impacts

9
Balance of Costs and Benefits

• Amount and Use of Mining Revenues
• Basic public services
• Government accountability
• Transparency
• Corruption
• Safety of those who advocate for improvements
• How decisions are made on the local use of
  revenues
• Conflict over access to mineral wealth

10
Local Relationship with Mining Companies

• Human rights
• Labor standards
• Wages
• Working conditions
• Worker Safety
• Corporate Social Responsibility Funds

11
Self-Determination

• Important not to underestimate
• Peoples participation in decisions that affect
  them
• Social license for mining companies
• Free prior informed consent

12

• Social, Political, and Financial Risks
• Can be Reduced
• By effectively engaging Civil Society

13
Civil Society Participation

• Participation and communication must
• Be Meaningful
• Include the representatives of a variety of key
  stakeholders
• Be an on-going process

14
Working with Civil Society

• Minimizing interactions with stakeholders does
  not minimize problems with stakeholders
• Information meetings are not the same as
  participation
• Participation is an on-going process not just
  for the EIA
• Problem solving should take place before
  conflicts erupt
• The effectiveness of CSR can not be measured by
  the amount of money spent
• Addressing peoples basic needs can be more
  important than building flashy projects
• Working with local communities takes time, but
  not working with communities can lead to costly
  delays
• Manipulation creates a risky environment
• Civil society can support government and
  corporate goals

15
Crucial Points of Collaboration

• Roles of Government, Companies and Civil Society

16

• When civil society holds government and the
  private sector to account - it can lower risks
  and benefit everyone