August 2018 News and Analysis from NRGI
Highlights
Governance and Trade Patterns of Gold Producers in the 2017 Resource Governance Index
To realize gold’s development potential, government officials in producing countries must consider a range of governance questions. This briefing explores these questions, drawing on the results of the Resource Governance Index, and also details considerations for trading firms and governments of importing countries.
Statement on the Release of Ilgar Mammadov in Azerbaijan
On 13 August NRGI advisory council member Ilgar Mammadov was released after five years of unjust imprisonment in his native Azerbaijan.
Where Do We Go From Here? Taking Stock of Beneficial Ownership Transparency
At the Open Government Partnership Global Summit in July, The B Team and NRGI co-hosted a session that explored what’s next in beneficial ownership, unpacking current efforts to push for a global norm around beneficial ownership transparency and exploring what next-generation commitments in OGP action plans might look like. This post details some takeaways.
Natural Resources for Sustainable Development: Massive Open Online Course
Natural resources represent a potentially transformational opportunity to support development, but are ultimately finite. How do we make the most of them without destroying the planet? In this 12-week course, produced by NRGI, the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment and the World Bank, learn about efforts to sustainably manage extractive industry investments from internationally recognized experts in resource governance, including NRGI staff. The course launches 9 September. Register here.Video
Advancing Accountable Resource Governance in Asia Pacific 2018
Each year in Indonesia, NRGI and Gadjah Mada University’s Department for Politics and Government host a residential training course on extractives governance. Participants from Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered on the island of Belitung, north of Jakarta. Watch this recap of the course and learn about the unique perspectives of five participants.
Blog
Colombia Election Highlights Unclear Natural Resource Policy from Political Parties
Throughout Colombia’s presidential campaign—which resulted in the election of Iván Duque, the right-wing Centro Democrático Party’s candidate—extractive industries-related issues received unprecedented attention from the public and the candidates.
What Does the Cambodian Election Mean for the Country’s Fledgling Gold Mining Industry?
The re-election of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party comes with major red flags for the effective governance of the growing gold mining sector, the safeguarding of communities near mining sites and civil society's role.
NRGI Continues Media Support Through Unique Fellowships in 2018
NRGI’s fellowships offer training on technical aspects of resource governance, build reporting skills such as data journalism and afford fellows the independence to discover areas of interest and uncover issues relevant in their home countries. Learn more about this year's offerings, including three fellowships with 100Reporters.
New Data Demystify Myanmar’s Jade Sector
Myanmar's gemstone sector is opaque and unaccountable. In 2017, the country scored just 27 of a possible 100 points and ranked 83rd among 89 assessments in the Resource Governance Index. However, new data are helping observers to unpack this sector and inform eventual reform. (This post was originally published in the Myanmar Times.)
Les ambitions minières de la Guinée et la mutualisation des infrastructures
Spotlight on data
NRGI staff build economic models in Microsoft Excel to support informed analysis of economic policies in resource-rich countries. These models are now available on a single page on NRGI's site.Publication
Code minier de la Tunisie : L’amélioration des aspects liés à la transparence et à la gouvernance
NRGI in the news and on the web
Myanmar’s state-owned enterprises show how much reform is still needed
The Economist [paywall]
Crowd-funding Viable Option for New Oil Sector Projects – Experts
Businessday (Ghana) [registration required]
New jade and gemstone policy expected to boost the industry
Myanmar Times
Can Mongolian copper power the green revolution?
Financial Times [paywall]
Shocking Things Ghana’s Auditor-General said about Oil and Gas
The Insight (Nigeria)
Budget deficit reaches record high, yet SOE money remains untouched
Myanmar Times
Has Mining Cleaned Up Its Act? (audio begins at 12:05)
BBC World Service Business Daily
NRGI Makes Case for Oil Contracts Disclosure
The Punch (Nigeria)
Policy Reform for Increased Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance in the Tunisian Extractive Industries
Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs
خمسة اسئلة حول ادارة الصندوق السيادي
Maharat News (Lebanon)