Corruption undermines democracy and the rule of law. It leads to violations of human rights. It erodes public trust in government. It can even kill. 

- Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General, September 2007

Many countries that are rich in oil, gas and other minerals are nonetheless mired in poverty and beset by poor government because the public revenues earned from selling these resources have been squandered through corruption and lack of government accountability.

Corruption stunts economic growth, discourages foreign investment and inhibits access to vital public services. It also undermines the effectiveness of international aid.

Global Witness is campaigning to change the international norm so it is no longer possible or acceptable to engage in or enable corrupt activities involving natural resources. Our work turns the spotlight on dubious natural resource deals to show the different ways in which corruption can distort competition for access to natural resources.

Our work aims to:

• prevent natural resource companies from acting corruptly, or enabling corruption in countries where they operate;
• prevent the financial system enabling resource-related corruption;
• curb the ability of public officials to loot their state’s funds;
• ensure that governments do not enable or legitimize corruption.