Blogs & Opinions

Ecocide: The Need for a New International Law to Criminalise the Destruction of the Environment

Mar 12, 2017 | Harry Wright

In 2015, our planet witnessed one of the worst environmental crimes in history, the burning and incineration of the Indonesian rainforest perpetrated allegedly by palm…

Water Filtration Plants and Risks of a Chlorine Mass-Casualty Event in Donetsk

Mar 10, 2017 | Wim Zwijnenburg

Chlorine is one of the most widely produced chemicals, and used for many industrial and household applications. Weaponized chlorine has gained more popularity among State and…

From Conflict to Communities: Forests in Liberia

Mar 10, 2017 | John C. Cannon

Charles Taylor, who led the rebellion that began in 1989, funneled revenue from selling timber, as well as diamonds, iron ore, and rubber, into weapons…

Water Wars: Sun and Sand in the South China Sea

Mar 10, 2017 | Jimmy Chalk and Sarah Grant

China claimed progress on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea this week, and the country’s bold plans to turn the Paracels into…

What the Potential Repeal of Dodd-Frank Means for Conflict Minerals

Mar 9, 2017 | Jabil

The Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law in 2010 as a response to the 2008 financial crisis. As the most far-reaching Wall Street reform in…

Future of DR Congo Mining Could Be on Rocky Ground if US Dodd Frank 1502 Rolled Back

Mar 7, 2017 | Laura Angela Bagnetto

The future of mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be changed forever as watchdog agencies, Congolese non-governmental organizations, and American businesses are watching…

Here's Why Nations Go to War Over Water

Mar 6, 2017 | George Friedman and Allison Fedirka

Access to and control over water is a strategic imperative for all countries. As such, it has been a source of conflict throughout history.

Water access…

Axing “Conflict Minerals” Rule Also Threatens DRC’s Endangered Grauer Gorillas

Mar 2, 2017 | Wilson Center

For weeks, the primatologists had followed a group of Grauer’s gorillas over rugged terrain – hacking through dense rainforest; following knife-edged ravines; and crossing a…

Afghanistan-Pakistan Treaty on the Kabul River Basin?

Mar 2, 2017 | Shafqat Kakakhel

Pakistani officials and experts have, time and again, suggested the negotiation of an Afghanistan-Pakistan treaty to regulate the sharing of the Kabul River Basin (KRB).…

In Support of Dodd-Frank Conflict Minerals Regulation

Feb 28, 2017 | Sasha Lezhnev

IRIN’s recent article, Who pays the hidden price for Congo’s conflict-free minerals, offers a compelling story that highlights some real challenges facing many Congolese people today.

Unfortunately,…

Are We Headed Toward “Recurring Storms” of Global Food Insecurity?

Feb 27, 2017 | Erica Martin

It’s often assumed that in the modern era, food security is an achievable goal. But between 2007 and 2008, a confluence of conditions shook the…

Enough Project Comment to the SEC in Support of Conflict Minerals Rule Implementation

Feb 27, 2017 | Enough Project

On January 31, Acting Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Michael Piwowar welcomed interested parties to submit comments in response to a statement calling…

Are We Headed Toward “Recurring Storms” of Global Food Insecurity?

Feb 27, 2017 | Erica Martin

It’s often assumed that in the modern era, food security is an achievable goal. But between 2007 and 2008, a confluence of conditions shook the…

Helping Afghan Farmers Build Better Lives

Feb 26, 2017 | Mohammad Hassan Ibrahimi

Mohammad Ibrahimi is a messenger between local farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). That’s his role as provincial coordinator of the National Horticulture and…

Government Neglects Land Disputes at its Peril

Feb 26, 2017 | Eleven

Land disputes remain one of the many problems still to be cracked in Myanmar. Many farmers end up in court and jail after their land…

Seven Letters from Congolese Groups in Support of the U.S. Conflict Minerals Law

Feb 24, 2017 | Sasha Lezhnev and Rachel Finn

In early 2017, in response to a possible suspension of the Conflict Minerals Rule for Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank law, numerous companies, investors, activists,…

Keep Minerals Conflict-Free

Feb 24, 2017 | Steve Feldstein and Sasha Lezhnev

It was not long ago that central Africa was mired in its "first world war" that led to 5.4 million deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.…

Mainstreaming the Environment in Peace and Security

Feb 24, 2017 | Doug Weir

Everyone recognises the importance of environmental mainstreaming. It’s a problem that is particularly acute for conflict and the environment, where the environment is rarely prioritised…

A Congolese View on Why We Need the U.S. Conflict Minerals Law

Feb 23, 2017 | Janvier Murairi Bakihanaye

As a native of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), I have seen first-hand what things are like on the ground – gang-rape, modern child slavery and other…

A Major Revamp, if Not Repeal, in the Works for the SEC's Conflict Minerals Rule

Feb 22, 2017 | Laura Tieger-Salisbury

Electronics companies such as Intel, Apple and HP won't be affected by the latest attempt to kill—the "conflicts minerals" rule. Dynda Thomas, partner and leader of…

Will the US Fight for Oil in the South China Sea?

Feb 22, 2017 | Wesley Rahn

US Secretary of State Tillerson's former role as ExxonMobil CEO has fueled speculation that US assertiveness in the South China Sea is connected with oil…

The Mosul Operation: An Interim Open-Source Assessment of Conflict-Related Environmental Damage

Feb 21, 2017 | Wim Zwijnenburg

As the Mosul Operations slowly progress, a myriad of open-source information is emerging from both Ninawa province and other areas where intense fighting took place…

A Long and Winding Road Ends for Resource Extraction Disclosure

Feb 20, 2017 | Kimberley Anderson

On February 14, 2017, President Trump approved a joint resolution of Congress that disapproves the SEC’s rule requiring specific disclosures by resource extraction issuers, effectively…

Water Wars: Rediscovering the Status Quo in the South China Sea

Feb 17, 2017 | Jared Dummitt and Eliot Kim

China continued to react critically to the Trump administration’s emerging position on the South China Sea.  Responding to a joint statement by President Trump and…

The De Facto Embargo is Over: Record-High Conflict-Free Minerals Exports from Eastern Congo

Feb 16, 2017 | Annie Callaway and Sasha Lezhnev

The conflict-free minerals trade has been slowly but steadily increasing in recent years, and 2016 resulted in record-high exports from the eastern Democratic Republic of…

Land at the Heart of Myanmar’s Transition: Part 2

Feb 15, 2017 | Anna Wellenstein

In part 1, we discussed some of the major land-related challenges facing Myanmar’s transition and development. In fact, resolving outstanding land issues will help the…

Tackling Deforestation in Liberia: A Quest For Greener Future

Feb 14, 2017 | Stephen B. Lavalah and Ambulai Johnson

Liberia’s forest is under serious threat.  There are massive legal and illegal logging activities everywhere in the forest. Chainsawing is at its highest level.  Protected…

2017 Conflict Minerals Company Rankings

Feb 14, 2017 | Enough Project

Companies, governments, and activists have contributed to important progress to end the conflict minerals trade, but there is an urgent need to continue working on…

Turning Afghan Opium Ills to Good

Feb 13, 2017 | Hamish McDonald

Is it time to revisit plans to license some of the deadly crop?

More than 15 years after the Western coalition ousted Afghanistan's Taliban regime, the…

Sierra Leone News: Land Acquisition, Mining and Foreign Investment Threatens Food Security

Feb 10, 2017 | Awoko

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Africa has found itself in the midst of a new wave of colonization. As if the fact that…