Bezweer de grondstoffenvloek

The text examines the 'resource curse', where mineral wealth leads to corruption and conflict rather than prosperity. It highlights the role of 'conflict minerals' in funding insurgencies in regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan. The author argues that while national governance is primary, industrialized nations must implement binding transparency regulations—such as the OECD guidelines—to prevent human rights abuses and ensure resource extraction supports sustainable development.

• The 'resource curse' occurs when the discovery of minerals in countries with poor governance leads to inequality and conflict rather than wealth, as the potential for quick profit encourages corruption and discourages the establishment of tax systems and public accountability.
• Resource extraction often fuels 'resource wars' where rebel groups finance conflicts through the illegal trade of 'conflict minerals'. In 2013, the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research found that 90 out of 414 ongoing conflicts were related to natural resources.
• The document identifies specific examples of resource-linked conflict: in Afghanistan, rebels profit from emeralds and rubies, while in Colombia, gold mines provide up to 20% of FARC's income.
• While national democratic institutions are essential for turning resources into development—as seen in Botswana's use of diamonds—industrialized nations can assist through binding transparency laws. The author criticizes the European Commission's 2014 proposal for being a voluntary system, arguing that only binding rules, similar to the US Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, can effectively clean up supply chains.
• In May 2015, the European Parliament voted for a package requiring companies using gold, tin, tantalum, or tungsten to report on the origin of these minerals in line with OECD guidelines, though the author notes the Dutch government's position remained aligned with a weaker Commission proposal.

APA

van der Heide, J. S. M. (2015). Bezweer de grondstoffenvloek. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/bezweer-de-grondstoffenvloek/

Chicago

van der Heide, Judith Sargentini, Maria. Bezweer de grondstoffenvloek. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/bezweer-de-grondstoffenvloek/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=van der Heide |first1=Judith Sargentini, Maria |title=Bezweer de grondstoffenvloek |publisher=Green European Journal |date=7 December 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/bezweer-de-grondstoffenvloek/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vanderheide2015bezweer, author = {van der Heide, Judith Sargentini, Maria}, title = {{Bezweer de grondstoffenvloek}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/bezweer-de-grondstoffenvloek/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }