Op-ed: A more strategic raw materials policy is needed, but cynically looking the other way is not the solution
November 20, 2025In an op-ed in De Morgen, IPIS’ Director Filip Reyniers and Chair Loïc De Cannière respond to Mark Elchardus, who recently argued that it would be “incomprehensible” and an example of “moral blindness” if the EU decided to end its raw materials agreement with Rwanda, in particular when it comes to Rwandese tungsten.
Op-ed: Belgium’s inaction on diamond trade with Russia is not justifiable
April 26, 2022This op-ed was published in Dutch in De Standaard on April 12, 2022 — Hans Merket The Antwerp diamond hub presents itself as the most ethical in the world. This does not sit well with turning a blind eye on the war in Ukraine. There are no arguments left to justify doing nothing about the flow of income that the Russian regime receives from the diamond trade with Belgium. Both the Antwerp diamond
