Global Witness
Goldman Sachs underwrites US$1.6 billion of ‘under the radar’ bonds for corrupt Sarawak regime, and wins business award for it
1st May 2013 US investment bank Goldman Sachs appears to have turned a blind eye to glaring corruption risks and conflicts of interest in order to underwrite US$1.6 billion in bonds for the Sarawak State Government, Malaysia. Include in Homepage...
La crise des permis forestiers africains risque de conduire l’UE à blanchir des importations de bois illégaux
30th April 2013 L’abus systématique de petits permis d’exploitation forestière mal régulés par des compagnies, des officiels et des politiciens sape les efforts de l’Union Européenne pour lutter contre la déforestation et le bois illégal, dit un nouveau rapport de Global Witness....
Logging in the shadows: how vested interests abuse shadow permits to evade forest sector reforms
30th April 2013 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: off Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is undermining efforts to fight deforestation and keep illegal timber out of the EU, says...
Africa’s logging permit crisis puts EU at risk of laundering illegal timber imports
30th April 2013 Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is undermining efforts to fight deforestation and keep illegal timber out of the EU, says a new report by Global Witness. ...
Summary of the new EU Accounting and Transparency Directives
29th April 2013 On 9 April 2013, the EU Member States, Parliament and Commission agreed to adopt new transparency rules for oil, gas, mining and logging companies. The agreement requires extractive and logging companies to publish details of the payments they make to...
Global Witness welcomes SFO announcement of formal investigation into ENRC
26th April 2013 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced yesterday that they are opening a criminal investigation into FTSE 100 mining company Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). The SFO said that: “The focus of the investigation will be allegations of fraud,...
UK Defamation Bill becomes law
26th April 2013 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: Include in Homepage Featured Items feed Yesterday the Defamation Bill received Royal Assent and became the Defamation Act 2013, bringing much-needed changes to the UK’s libel laws. Until now, archaic and claimant-friendly...
Cambodia marks 1 year anniversary of Chut Wutty’s murder
26th April 2013 Global Witness joins Cambodian activists and citizens in commemorating the death of Chut Wutty, the Director of environmental watchdog Natural Resource Protection Group (NRPG), who was murdered a year ago today by military police while investigating illegal logging and...
Global Witness welcomes UK Prime Minister’s move to end anonymous shell companies
25th April 2013 Prime Minister David Cameron revealed today that the UK will be seeking action from the G8 to end the abuse of anonymous shell companies. He has called for information about who ultimately owns and controls companies (beneficial ownership) to...
Criminal complaint accuses senior manager of Danzer Group of responsibility over human rights abuses against Congolese community
25th April 2013 A criminal complaint filed today by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and Global Witness accuses a senior manager of Swiss and German timber manufacturer the Danzer Group of aiding and abetting, through omission, grave human...
Open Letter to Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud accepting offer of debate on land and forest use
19th April 2013 In an interview with the Let’s Talk programme on The Malaysian Observer, Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud challenged Global Witness to a debate on the allegations of corruption, land grabbing and tax evasion shown in the film Inside Malaysia’s...
Damning video and contracts show BSGR was lying in Guinea mining scandal
19th April 2013 Beny Steinmetz Group Resources says there was no corrupt behaviour in its acquisition of licences to one of the world’s largest iron ore concessions, in the West African nation of Guinea. It asserts that the wife of a former...
Corruption arrest in US puts Beny Steinmetz Group Resources in the frame
16th April 2013 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: Include in Homepage Featured Items feed The US authorities have arrested a man in Florida in connection with the controversial acquisition of mining rights in Guinea by Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR),...
UK libel reform Bill faces fresh threat ahead of final House of Commons debate
15th April 2013 The recently tabled amendment to the UK Defamation Bill risks eroding progress towards libel laws in the UK that would protect freedom of expression and public interest campaigning, said Global Witness today. Include in Homepage Featured Items...
Global Witness response to reports relating to Beny Steinmetz Group Resources and FTI Consulting LLP
12th April 2013 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: Include in Homepage Featured Items feed It has been reported in the media today that Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR) has launched a case against its former public relations adviser, FTI Consulting...
欧盟通过全球资源企业反腐败法
9th April 2013 今日欧盟出台新规，要求石油、天然气、矿产和林业资源开采企业详细披露其在自然资源开发项目中向资源国政府支付的各项费用。这项具有突破性意义的法令让资源富裕国家的人民有机会详细了解本国自然资源所带来的收益。因此，该法令不仅代表着反腐斗争取得了峰回路转的进展，同时也是全球见证组织历时15年不懈斗争所取得的一场重要胜利。 欧洲议会和理事会已同意，根据欧盟《会计及透明度指令》的规定，所有欧盟上市企业、及大型私有石油、天然气、矿产和林业资源开采企业均需公布他们向资源国政府所支付的资金信息（备注一）。无论项目所在地，企业都必须对包括税收、特许权使用费、许可费等在内，金额超过10万欧元的所有资金支付进行披露。欧盟出台该指令意在效法美国，2010年，美国出台了与之类似的财务信息披露法案——《多德•弗兰克法案》。 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: off Click here to read in English. 供2013年4月9日即时发布 新法的出台标志着全球见证组织十五年来的不懈努力取得重大胜利 今日欧盟出台新规，要求石油、天然气、矿产和林业资源开采企业详细披露其在自然资源开发项目中向资源国政府支付的各项费用。这项具有突破性意义的法令让资源富裕国家的人民有机会详细了解本国自然资源所带来的收益。因此，该法令不仅代表着反腐斗争取得了峰回路转的进展，同时也是全球见证组织历时15年不懈斗争所取得的一场重要胜利。 欧洲议会和理事会已同意，根据欧盟《会计及透明度指令》的规定，所有欧盟上市企业、及大型私有石油、天然气、矿产和林业资源开采企业均需公布他们向资源国政府所支付的资金信息（备注一）。无论项目所在地，企业都必须对包括税收、特许权使用费、许可费等在内，金额超过10万欧元的所有资金支付进行披露。欧盟出台该指令意在效法美国，2010年，美国出台了与之类似的财务信息披露法案——《多德•弗兰克法案》。 read more...
南苏丹石油生产重启，各方期待提高透明度
10th April 2013 本周，随着南苏丹石油生产的重启，全球见证呼吁该国政府认真执行去年通过的石油法中，提及的增强透明度的措施，并对近期秘密签署开采合同一事进行澄清。 “南苏丹的石油法律明确要求公开石油部门的数据和合约，若这些规定能贯彻执行，才能确保公民对自然资源的管理工作进行监测与核查。本周石油生产的重启将是对政府透明度的检验。”全球见证的活动家达娜·威尔金斯表示。 Include in Homepage Featured Items feed: off Click here to read in English. 即时发布时间 本周，随着南苏丹石油生产的重启，全球见证呼吁该国政府认真执行去年通过的石油法中，提及的增强透明度的措施，并对近期秘密签署开采合同一事进行澄清。 “南苏丹的石油法律明确要求公开石油部门的数据和合约，若这些规定能贯彻执行，才能确保公民对自然资源的管理工作进行监测与核查。本周石油生产的重启将是对政府透明度的检验。”全球见证的活动家达娜·威尔金斯表示。 2011年南苏丹从苏丹独立出来后，就成了世界上石油依赖度最高的经济体。苏丹的管道和港口是南苏丹石油出口的唯一通道，2011年底苏丹开始没收其港口的南苏丹原油，目前，两国已经就新的输送条款谈判了一年半。2012年1月，南苏丹被迫停止了全部的石油生产和出口，这对于97%以上国家预算都来自石油收入的南苏丹无疑是巨大的灾难。 read more...
EU agrees landmark anti-corruption law for global resource companies
9th April 2013 The EU has today agreed ground-breaking new rules forcing oil, gas, mining and logging companies to publish details of the payments they make to governments for access to natural resources around the world. By providing millions of citizens in...
South Sudan’s oil production restarts amid concerns about transparency
8th April 2013 As oil production resumes in South Sudan this week, Global Witness is calling on the government to implement the transparency measures passed as part of oil legislation last year and to clarify recent reports of secretive contract allocations. ...
Massive ICIJ exposé on offshore secrecy should spur G8 action
4th April 2013 UK Prime Minister David Cameron and fellow G8 leaders must crack down on anonymous company ownership, said Global Witness today following revelations by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) of the hidden offshore dealings of politicians, fraudsters and...
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