Publications
The European Regulation on Responsible Mineral Sourcing: what are the lessons learned so far?
Feature image copyright: Frédéric Triest The 1st of January 2021 marked the entry into force of the European Regulation on Responsible Sourcing of tin, tungsten tantalum and gold (3TG) from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (EU CMR or Regulation). The objective of the Regulation is to oblige European companies to carry out due diligence checks on their suppliers up-to the middle of the supply
Responsible mining scorecard in eastern DRC
- Ken Matthysen, Lotte Hoex, Thomas Muller | 31 août 2022
Over the years, IPIS has systematically collected mine site and trade hub level data on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in eastern DRC. This data collection has enabled IPIS to generate a sizable database of more than 3,000 ASM sites that draws both on sites visited by IPIS and data from third party sources including the Congolese mining cadastre and the Mini
Annual Report 2021
- IPIS | 13 juillet 2022
2021 has proven to be a fundamental year for IPIS. In the background of the global health crisis and its various impacts on partner organisations and multilateral frameworks, IPIS continued to fulfill its role in investigating armed conflict and human rights violations, addressing business practices, and being present in networks and platforms with information and advice. This annual report gives
Maps of artisanal and small-scale mining in eastern DRC
- Thomas Muller | 4 juillet 2022
IPIS has created large format maps of known past and present ASM sites in eastern DRC. These A0 maps cover the provinces of Haut Uele, Maniema, Ituri and North and South Kivu. Each map details the type of minerals, the qualification status by official authorities, the mining titles and provide with an overview of armed presence in and around the mines as reported during field visits conducted by I
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and arms transfers in the framework of international law
- Brian Wood, Peter Danssaert | 11 avril 2022
The international crisis and threat to world peace presented by the massive Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 has thrown up difficult questions, not least of which is how the international community can assist the Ukrainian armed forces defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In doing so, it is tempting to think of the situation only in military terms, leaving aside wha
Russian diamonds and the war in Ukraine
- Hans Merket
- Didier Verbruggen | 4 avril 2022
In this Insight, IPIS provides background and analysis on several aspects of the Russian diamond sector, what links it has to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and how the international business and political community is seeking an adequate response to the challenges this raises. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, that started on 24 February 2022, has led to international outrage. Russ
Unconditional Cash Transfers in the DRC: A Comparative Baseline Study in an Artisanal Mining Zone in Maniema Province
- Erik Gobbers, Thomas Muller | 1 mars 2022
A controlled impact study will be conducted by IPIS to evaluate the net effects of Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCT) on the socio-economic well-being of recipients. A controlled study approach allows potential effects of the intervention to be assessed by monitoring specific indicators in the group of people receiving cash transfers (inhabitants of the UCT village), in comparison with a comparabl
Rapport de l’atelier de haut niveau sur la lutte contre la fraude et la contrebande de diamants bruts en Afrique centrale
- Didier Verbruggen, Mieke Thierens
- Maurice Miema | 21 février 2022
Coopération régionale pour améliorer la mise en œuvre du Processus de Kimberley en Afrique centrale En décembre 2021, le Groupe de travail sur la production artisanale et alluviale (GTPAA) du Processus de Kimberley (PK) et le gouvernement camerounais ont organisé à Yaoundé le deuxième atelier de coopération régionale en Afrique centrale afin de renforcer la compréhension, de partager les expérienc
Enquêtes de terrain sur l’impact local de l’exploitation minière des diamants
- Action Mines Guinée, CCRAG, CECIDE, CENADEP, GAERN, GRPIE, MCDF
- Julien Marquet, Mieke Thierens, Thomas Muller | 14 février 2022
Au cours de l’année 2021, IPIS a soutenu les membres de la Coalition de la Société Civile du Processus de Kimberley (CSC KP) dans une série d’enquêtes de terrain sur les droits de l’Homme et l’impact socio-économique et environnemental de l’extraction des diamants dans huit pays africains. IPIS a fourni des formations en ligne sur la méthodologie des enquêtes de terrain ainsi qu’un soutien éditori
Analyse comparative des régimes fiscaux et de leurs implications pour le commerce des 3TG de l’EMAPE au Rwanda, en Ouganda, au Burundi et en RDC
- Levin Sources | 14 février 2022
Le présent document d’information examine la relation entre les régimes fiscaux applicables aux minerais et la contrebande de minerais dans la Région des Grands Lacs (RGL), tant à l’intérieur des pays qu’entre eux. Il présente une vue d’ensemble et une analyse comparative des régimes fiscaux applicables à la production artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) d’étain, de tungstène, de tantale et d’o
L’or de Misisi, une chaine d’approvisionnement polluée. Causes et conséquences.
- Julien Mapenzi
- Erik Gobbers | 1 février 2022
Dans cette publication des Voix du Congo, l’organisation de la société civile congolaise Action pour la Paix et le Développement (APDE) analyse les incidents liés à l’exploitation minière signalés dans zone de Misisi via la plateforme “Kufatilia” entre juillet 2020 et juin 2021.
Maps of checkpoints in South Sudan
- Ken Matthysen, Peer Schouten, Thomas Muller
- Thomas Muller | 14 décembre 2021
A selection of key maps that accompany the 2021 publication “Checkpoint economy: the political economy of checkpoints in South Sudan, ten years after independence”. Interactive webmap of road-and river checkpoints in South Sudan: A static overview map of all road- and river checkpoints in South Sudan (2020 – 2021 data): A static map with details of all checkpoints, per route (2020 – 2021 data): A
Checkpoint economy: the political economy of checkpoints in South Sudan, ten years after independence
- Ken Matthysen, Peer Schouten
- Thomas Muller | 10 décembre 2021
Ten years after independence, the world’s youngest country is home to an entrenched political economy of conflict premised on checkpoint taxation. Humanitarian aid is not exempt, reveals a major new mapping report by DIIS and IPIS. When South Sudan became independent ten years ago, oil revenues were supposed to fuel the economy of the world’s newest country. But two years later in 2013, oil prices
Africa Armed Violence and the Illicit Arms Trade
- Brian Wood, Peter Danssaert | 1 décembre 2021
Brian Wood and Peter Danssaert recently contributed a chapter on Africa’s illicit arms trade to ‘Gun Trafficking and Violence. From the Global Network to the Local Security Challenge’ edited by David Pérez Esparza, Carlos A. Pérez Ricart, and Eugenio Weigend Vargas (2021). In this chapter the authors consider major structural factors contributing to the illicit trade of small arms and li
Plaidoyer en faveur d’un environnement plus favorable à la production, au commerce et à l’exportation de minerais conformes au Guide OCDE sur le devoir de diligence (GDD) dans l’est de la RDC.
- Levin Sources | 23 novembre 2021
Dans le cadre du projet Madini, un examen de la situation actuelle, des tendances et des obstacles à la production, au commerce et à l’exportation d’étain, de tantale, de tungstène (3T) et d’or en provenance de l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a été réalisé par Levin Sources, dans le but de recommander des actions concrètes susceptibles d’améliorer l’approvisionnement conforme à
The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict Settings: existing challenges and opportunities for the European Peace Facility
- Eric G. Berman
- Alexandre Jaillon, Thomas Muller | 8 septembre 2021
This paper, which is a collaboration between Eric G. Berman (Director of the Safeguarding Security Sector Stockpiles (S⁴) Initiative) and IPIS, shows that levels of loss of uniformed personnel serving in peace operations in the Lake Chad Basin region under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), as well as the seizure of lethal materiel from state stockpiles, are astonishingly high. Reporting
Madini – Analyse de conflit et cartographie des acteurs dans le Sud Kivu et L’Ituri
- Guillaume de Brier
- Alexandre Jaillon, Thomas Muller | 20 août 2021
Pour s’assurer que la mise en œuvre du projet Madini s’adapte au contexte local et a un impact positif sur la population locale, IPIS a réalisé une analyse de sensibilité au conflit dans le Sud-Kivu et l’Ituri. La présente étude souligne que la mauvaise gouvernance, ainsi que la pauvreté chronique, sont des causes structurelles de la violence dans les régions minières, alors que la présence de “mi
Webmap “Business and Human Rights in Tanzania”
- Laure Gerig, Mieke Thierens, Thomas Muller | 18 août 2021
This interactive map presents an overview of the main project activities and output that IPIS and its project partners CHRAGG and BHRT have delivered as part of their project to “Improve monitoring, research and dialogue on Business and Human Rights in Tanzania ”. This project ran from December 2017 until February 2021. The map locates project activities in Tanzania and allows you to find out more
IPIS Due Diligence series – Comparative analysis between cobalt and 3T sourcing from the DRC
- Guillaume de Brier, Hadassah Arian, Lotte Hoex | 26 juillet 2021
This report compares the supply chains and traceability of 3T and cobalt ores in order to identify similarities, differences, and lessons learned from the decade of 3T experience in responsible sourcing, for the emerging cobalt initiatives. The experience of regulating responsible sourcing in the 3T sector has taught us the importance of engaging producing countries
Review paper – The EU Conflict Minerals Regulation: Implementation at the EU Member State level
- IPIS | 9 juin 2021
A Coalition of European NGOs working on responsible mineral sourcing, including IPIS, published a review paper discussing the state of implementation of the European Conflict Minerals Regulation across European Union Member States. The report highlights the shortcomings of the Regulation and the general lack of transparency that hinders effective and efficient monitoring of companies.