Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition calls on all Members to deliver on improving global diamond governance
November 14, 2018Reform is high on the agenda of this year’s Kimberley Process Plenary under EU Chairmanship. The Kimberley Process – once a pioneering tripartite effort to stop diamonds from financing rebel groups – is struggling to provide an adequate answer to numerous human rights challenges associated with the diamond sector today. Aware of these enormous challenges, it was decided at the 2017 Plenary meeting
22 November – IPIS panel discussion on the Central African Republic
October 19, 2018Central African Republic: A Conflict Mapping IPIS kindly invites you to a panel discussion on the conflict in the Central African Republic on Thursday November 22, 4:30pm at the Jacqmotte Conference Center, Hoogstraat/Rue Haute 139 in Brussels. Please register at events@ipisresearch.be Programme 4:30 – Welcome Honorary Ambassador Johan Swinnen, Chair IPIS 4:40 – Keynote speech
Central African Republic: A Conflict Mapping (2018)
September 16, 2018In a new report and webmap on the longstanding crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), IPIS points out that access to resources remains the predominant driver of both armament and conflict in CAR. All armed groups operating in CAR are engaged in predation on one or more economic sectors. Such predation is not only a key determinant of an armed group’s movements and activities, but prov
IPIS welcomes UA Summer School students for workshop on responsible sourcing using IPIS maps
September 10, 2018On September 6th, 30 students from the University of Antwerp ‘Mine to Finger’ Summer School on diamonds participated in a responsible sourcing workshop organised by IPIS. They explored the upstream context of the diamond supply chain in Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) using IPIS webmaps. They engaged in a critical and nuanced discussion on various due dilig
Strengthening local voices: discover IPIS’ partner publication series “Voices from the South”
September 3, 2018Since 2017, IPIS has been closely collaborating with civil society actors from central and east Africa who want to share their perspective on subjects related to IPIS’ work. Their hands-on experience, unique knowledge and access to information offer local insights relevant to a large audience. With the editorial support from IPIS, local partners are encouraged to write down their research. This ha
Open data – Getting started using Excel
August 27, 2018Since 2009, the International Peace Information Service manages a database on mining site visits in eastern DR Congo. Since January 2017, IPIS publishes the data it has collected over the last decade on its Open Data page. This tutorial explains how to get started with the IPIS Open Data if you are using Microsoft Excel. Other documentation to this data includes an Open Data FAQ & Dictionary p
Annual Report 2017
August 21, 2018In its 2017 annual report, IPIS gives an overview of its research projects and activities. It covers the four research programmes that IPIS focusses on: natural resources, arms trade, conflict mapping and business and human rights. IPIS explains among others its mapping work of artisanal mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo, its work on Human Rights in mining in Northwest Tanzania an
Voix du Congo: Study on gold panning and the use of mercury in artisanal mining in Ituri
July 23, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the “Association des Exploitants Miniers Artisanaux pour la Pacification et Reconstruction de l’Ituri” (AEMAPRI), presents a study on gold panning and the use of mercury in Ituri. The Ituri Province is one of the DRC’s resource-rich provinces; notably gold, coltan, cassiterite, diamonds and oil. Gold production in Ituri is essentially
Ground-based incident reporting in Eastern DRC – Progress Report 1
July 23, 2018In January 2018, IPIS and its partner CEGEMI (a Bukavu-based research institute) launched a two-year project founded by EPRM to advance incident reporting and community participation in responsible sourcing through cooperative and CSO capacity enhancement in Eastern DR Congo gold sector. “First field visit to identify potential cooperative to be part of project activities.” Copyright: Gabriel KAMU
Kimberley Process intersessional meeting: civil society coalition calls for meaningful reform on definition of conflict diamonds
June 29, 2018At the Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting, held in Antwerp from 18-22 June, the KP civil society coalition (KP CSC) called for meaningful reforms, on the scope of the definition of conflict diamonds, on the KP’s governance structures, and on internal controls on governments to ensure a clean, conflict-free and legal diamond supply chains. The KP CSC is dismayed over the lack of progress
Voix du Congo: Fraud and mineral smuggling in the territory of Kalehe, South Kivu
April 15, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the “Centre National d’Appui au Développement et à la Participation Populaire” (CENADEP), presents a study on the channels of mineral fraud and smuggling in Kalehe (South Kivu) and, more specifically, the case of the Numbi/Lumbishi supply chain. In Kalehe territory, Numbi’s supply chain is one of the most important because it can produ
Voix du Congo: Taxation and parafiscality in artisanal mining in Tanganyika, DRC
April 5, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the non-profit organization “Commission Diocésaine Justice et Paix” (CDJP Kalemie-Kirungu), presents a study on the legal and illegal taxation of artisanal mining activities by various actors in the province of Tanganyika, DRC. Artisanal mining is an activity that employs several thousand people in Tanganyika. Despite a 2002 law aiming at o
Roadblocks and artisanal mining sites – North and South Kivu Provinces (2018)
March 20, 2018This map show the location of roadblocks and artisanal mining sites in the Kivu provinces. It was made by combining data from our recent report on roadblocks in the area, and data from our recent update of our database and webmap on artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC. Download the full image
New data on mining sites and roadblocks on IPIS’ upgraded DRC interactive web map
March 19, 2018IPIS launches a major update of it’s DRC webmap displaying data on more than 2400 artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC and more than 800 roadblocks. Since December 2016, IPIS teams have visited more than 500 artisanal mines in eastern DRC, gathering data that has been added to IPIS’ interactive webmap. IPIS also integrated other datasets gathered during its projects in the region, including the d
Interactive map of artisanal mining exploitation in eastern DR Congo – 2018 update
March 19, 2018Résumé français ci-dessous – French summary below IPIS launched a major update of it’s DRC webmap displaying data on more than 2400 artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC and more than 800 roadblocks. Since December 2016, IPIS teams have visited more than 500 artisanal mines in eastern DRC, gathering data that has been added to IPIS’ interactive webmap. IPIS also integrated other datasets gathered
Mobile data collection on mining sites in Kigoma, Tanzania
February 26, 2018IPIS is undertaking a large-scale mobile data collection exercise on operational, socio-economic and human rights aspects of artisanal and industrial mining in northwest Tanzania. Building on this baseline data, IPIS will develop and implement a phone-based incidents reporting mechanism for local and mining communities. With better and more accessible data, IPIS aims to contribute to improving the
Training and workshop on mapping artisanal mining in Eastern DRC
February 9, 2018(French version below) 2373 Mining sites visited, including 470 visits in the last thirteen months. 300 Roadblocks visited on a total of 798 mapped roadblocks. More than 18 000 km travelled by plane, bus, motorbikes and by foot… These are a few of the impressive results achieved by the twelve IPIS researchers in Eastern DRC. Late January, a workshop held in Goma gave IPIS researchers an opportun
Improving monitoring, research and dialogue on Business and Human Rights in Tanzania
February 2, 2018IPIS was in Dar es Salaam to launch its new project on Business & Human Rights with the Tanzanian Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) and Business and Human Rights Tanzania (BHRT). Tanzania is bearing the fruits of the accelerating economic growth and rising influx of foreign direct investment (FDI), but is also struggling with the enormous challenges in the ar
Okapi Wildlife Reserve: Illegal Sourcing of Gold and Timber (2018)
February 1, 2018A map of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in DRC, created as a result of two mapathons focussing on illegal activities in the park.
Voix du Congo: The place of women in artisanal mining in the Masisi territory: Legislation and field practice
December 21, 2017See our series : VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the non-profit organisation “Action pour la Liberté et le Développement des Communautés Locales” ALDECO, presents a research on 3T artisanal mining in the Masisi territory and the Rubaya mining site in North Kivu (DRC). The goal is to understand what place is reserved for women in this field. This article helps understanding whether international
