Digging Deep for Profits and Development?

The document examines the role of global governance in Africa's mining sector, focusing on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Kimberley Process (KP), and the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI). It argues that while these initiatives promote ethical corporate behavior and transparency, they face significant challenges in monitoring, compliance, and addressing human rights abuses. The author highlights a disconnect between mineral wealth and human development, noting that countries like the DRC, Angola, and Sierra Leone remain low in Human Development Index rankings despite their resources.

• Mineral wealth in Africa has frequently failed to benefit local populations, often serving instead as a source of conflict between governments, multinational corporations, and armed groups, particularly in diamond fields used to finance civil wars.
• There is a stark disparity between the value of mineral exports and actual human development in several African nations; for example, the DRC, Angola, and Sierra Leone consistently rank near the bottom of the UNDP Human Development Index despite significant diamond production.
• The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has struggled with compliance; by mid-2009, only Azerbaijan had achieved compliance, while 21 of the 29 other candidate countries were in Africa and had not yet fulfilled the requirements.
• The Kimberley Process (KP) is considered the most successful of the three initiatives, representing 99% of global rough diamond production and trade, though it fails to address human rights abuses committed by government-affiliated forces due to its narrow definition of 'conflict diamonds'.
• The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) focuses on the often-overlooked artisanal mining sector, aiming to improve working conditions and bargaining power for small-scale miners, though it must navigate the failures of previous similar projects like the Peace Diamond Alliance in Sierra Leone.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and 'naming and shaming' have pushed mining firms toward more ethical behavior, but these norms often fall short of ensuring sustainable development or environmental protection in African states.

APA

Grant, J. A. (2009). Digging Deep for Profits and Development? South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-49.pdf

Chicago

Grant, J Andrew. Digging Deep for Profits and Development? South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-49.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grant |first1=J Andrew |title=Digging Deep for Profits and Development? |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-49.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grant2009digging, author = {Grant, J Andrew}, title = {{Digging Deep for Profits and Development?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-49.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }