In 2023, the international scene was marked by several high-intensity armed conflicts, with peace-building efforts and diplomacy being cast aside by military solutions and a new global arms race. Peace actors saw their window to engage — to bring their perspective on conflict resolution — greatly reduced.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), violence in the east further escalated. While IPIS continued to develop its work on natural resources in the region, our research highlights the underlying dynamics of the conflict, being rooted in deficient governance and violations of international and humanitarian law as well as in endemic poverty, social injustice, and long-standing grievances.
Following Hamas’ gruesome attack in southern Israel and Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip, IPIS and its partners scrutinized arms exports and transfers through Belgium to Israel, eventually leading to mitigating actions by the federal and regional governments.
We also witnessed the prolonged war in Ukraine and the Kimberley Process’ failure to address the connections between the Russian diamond industry and the financing of the conflict in Ukraine. IPIS closely followed the development of G7 coordinated measures to restrict the entry of Russian diamonds into Western markets. However, while the G7’s push for transparency and traceability is important, discussions have become entangled in geopolitics, self-interest lobby campaigns, and challenges of alignment with the needs and concerns of non-Western countries.
Highly mediatized conflicts that dominate the news risk overshadowing other situations where widespread human rights violations take place. In the extractive sector in a fragile state context, structural violence is often still part of daily life for (artisanal) miners and local communities, despite international efforts to strengthen responsible business conduct. Our research on the Williamson diamond mine in Tanzania highlights the severe challenges in securing access to remedy and restoring community relations after serious human rights abuse. Next, the global energy transition further increases pressure on mineral-producing countries and their communities. Drawing from its research on the impact of existing responsible sourcing initiatives, IPIS pointed at weaknesses and unintended consequences of top-down initiatives.
This annual report gives an overview of all research projects, capacity enhancement initiatives, and outreach activities conducted by IPIS in 2023. Our financial statements for the fiscal year are now available in a new extended format.
