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The document outlines the conceptual and practical framework for declaring 'free territories' as an exercise of autonomy and human rights. It provides a strategic approach to resisting the 'extractivist model'—specifically targeting REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs—by documenting successful community-led initiatives across Latin America, Europe, Australia, and other regions. The guide emphasizes that these declarations are not merely legal acts but political processes requiring permanent organization, public legitimacy, and the proposal of sustainable alternatives for local development.

The guide outlines the political and social process of declaring territories 'free' from specific threats, such as REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs. It frames these declarations as an exercise of autonomy and self-determination, providing strategic advice on prevention, information sharing, and alliance building. The document details various global case studies, including the M4 movement in Mesoamerica, anti-fracking efforts in Australia and Europe, and GMO-free initiatives in Costa Rica and the European Union, emphasizing that such declarations are tools for resisting corporate imposition and promoting sustainable, community-led development models.

The ATI Network Shadow Report 2018 details systemic failures in South Africa's access to information framework, noting low compliance rates among public bodies and significant barriers to obtaining data from private entities. It highlights specific cases where denied information jeopardized the right to education and environmental protection, while also discussing legal victories regarding political party funding and non-profit transparency.

The document identifies four critical areas for legal reform to prevent forest conversion: ensuring consistency between sectoral laws, establishing transparent land-title granting processes, formally recognizing customary land rights of local communities and indigenous peoples, and providing detailed implementation and enforcement mechanisms. It warns that legal ambiguity and a lack of stakeholder consultation lead to uncontrolled deforestation, land-tenure conflicts, and the potential for unfair evictions.

The report finds that while infrastructure and mining are major drivers of forest loss, a lack of aggregate data prevents a global assessment of progress. It highlights the role of transport networks and mineral extraction in tropical deforestation and details emerging sustainability standards and data initiatives intended to fill these research gaps.

The policy brief advocates for shifting Nigeria's mining governance away from the oil and gas model to better incentivise states and empower marginalized groups. It highlights the potential of semi-precious stones for livelihood creation and warns that failure to protect community rights and gender equality will hinder the sector's ability to create an estimated 250,000 new jobs.

The document describes Australia's approach to maximizing domestic participation in the mining sector, emphasizing a 'centrally-driven and cross-industry approach' rather than mandated local content targets. It highlights the role of the Australian Industry Participation (AIP) framework, where targets are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The study details education-to-employment pipelines, such as the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy, and the economic impact of the METS sector, which supports 1.1 million jobs. Key lessons emphasize the necessity of collaboration between government, industry, and education to maintain a competitive resources sector.

The document describes Canada's use of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) to protect Indigenous rights and promote employment in the mining sector. It highlights the Voisey’s Bay nickel mine in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Joint Education and Training Authority (JETA)—funded by a CAD 25 million federal initiative—trained over 1,000 Innu and Inuit people. By November 2016, Innu and Inuit peoples constituted approximately 55 per cent of the mine's workforce, with 90 per cent of those employees coming from adjacent communities.

The document analyzes the difficulties of creating sustainable horizontal linkages in Mozambique, where a weak manufacturing base and low human capital hinder the ability of local SMEs to diversify beyond specific 'megaprojects'. While the Mozlink II program generated USD 53 million in incremental sales for SMEs, many firms became overly specialized and dependent on the Mozal smelter, failing to transfer skills to other sectors. The study highlights that supplier development programs are insufficient without a broader strategy to address systemic constraints such as lack of access to finance, low educational attainment, and a policy environment biased toward foreign investment.

South Africa's mining sector historically drove industrialization by creating a specialized upstream supplier sector that overcame unique technological challenges of deep-level mining. These capabilities evolved into horizontal linkages, allowing firms to export expertise in products like coal-washing spirals and underground locomotives to other sectors and global markets. While the sector has declined as a percentage of GDP, it remains a critical export driver. Recent government policies have focused on socio-economic transformation and downstream beneficiation rather than supporting horizontal linkages, while skills shortages and policy uncertainty have hindered recent growth.

The document analyzes Tanzania's struggle to develop a National System of Innovation (NSI) and horizontal linkages due to low industrial capacity and skill shortages. It focuses on the Central Development Corridor (CDC), a logistics system connecting Dar es Salaam to the Great Lakes hinterland, highlighting how coordination failures, private sector concession collapses, and fluctuating mineral prices have delayed infrastructure progress. While recent improvements in port efficiency and border services have occurred, the study concludes that government-led investment, rather than reliance on mining firms, is essential for multipurpose infrastructure.

The document introduces a four-step framework for estimating the total cost of mining tax incentives by combining direct revenue losses with behavioural costs. It presents the IGF Mining Tax Incentives Financial Model, a tool pre-configured for a medium-sized surface gold mine in sub-Saharan Africa, which allows users to simulate how investors might change operations or financing to maximise incentives. The guide details specific behavioural risks, such as high-grading in response to tax holidays and excessive interest deductions following withholding tax exemptions, and provides methodologies for testing these estimates through scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis.

The document introduces a financial modeling framework designed to calculate the total loss of public revenue resulting from mining tax incentives. It distinguishes between 'direct costs' (the immediate loss of tax revenue) and 'behavioral costs' (revenue losses caused by investors adjusting their operations to maximize the benefit of incentives). The guide accompanies a beta financial model pre-configured for a medium-sized open-pit gold mine representative of Sub-Saharan Africa, following the FAST standard for transparency and adaptability. It details specific behavioral risks such as 'high-grading' in response to income tax exemptions, excessive interest deductions following withholding tax exemptions, and the under-invoicing of minerals under progressive royalty schemes. Additionally, it provides methodologies for testing cost estimates through scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis to determine if incentives are 'well-oriented'—meaning they provide more value when project viability is lowest.

Australia has leveraged its vast mineral reserves to drive broad economic growth by fostering horizontal linkages, where innovations developed for the mining sector diffuse into other industries. This process was supported by a National System of Innovation, a highly skilled workforce, and a business-friendly environment rather than strict local content mandates. A key outcome is the growth of the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector, which now contributes nearly 7% of GDP and employs more people than the mining sector itself. The document highlights that these spillovers occurred as a by-product of supporting the overall business environment and upstream linkages, providing a model for other resource-rich nations to achieve structural transformation.

Australia employs a balanced approach to local procurement, combining national regulatory frameworks like the Australian Industry Participation (AIP) National Framework with state-level policies and Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs). Key demand-side measures include requiring AIP plans for projects exceeding AUD 500 million, while supply-side support is provided through the Supplier Access to Major Projects (SAMP) program and the ICN Gateway database. The country also aligns its education system with the needs of the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector and has previously used tax incentives like the Enhanced Project By-Law Scheme to reward firms implementing AIP plans.

The document analyzes how joint ventures (JVs) between mining companies and Indigenous groups in Canada facilitate community capacity development and economic self-reliance. It highlights the role of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) and Aboriginal Economic Development Corporations (AEDCs) in integrating Indigenous communities into the mining supply chain and operations, while noting challenges such as limited organizational capacity and financing difficulties.

Chile has avoided formal local content targets in its mining sector, instead utilizing taxes and royalties to fund a broad national innovation system. Key initiatives include Fundación Chile, which helped diversify exports into salmon and fruit, and the National Council on Innovation and Competitiveness (NCIC), which managed the Innovation for Competitiveness Fund (ICF). Additionally, the BHP Billiton World Class Suppliers program demonstrates a collaborative approach to supplier development, though it has faced challenges in scaling. While mining's share of exports fell from 89% in 1973 to 59% in 2012, the document notes that coordination failures and institutional weaknesses have sometimes hampered the impact of these policies.

The document examines Ghana's efforts to increase local employment in its mining and oil and gas sectors. It contrasts the early, more generic approach of the mining sector with the more explicit, target-driven framework of the petroleum industry, highlighting the importance of predictability, phased quotas, and robust monitoring for foreign investment and local capacity building.

Ghana employs a combination of demand-side policies, such as targeted local procurement lists and mandatory five-year procurement plans, and supply-side initiatives like the National Supplier Development Program to increase linkages between the mining sector and local businesses. While the Minerals and Mining (General) Regulations LI 2173 provide a structured framework with financial penalties for non-compliance, the document highlights a critical lack of a precise definition for 'origin' and 'local value added' for goods. This ambiguity allows foreign firms to qualify as local simply by registering under Ghanaian law, potentially undermining industrialization goals. The government has demonstrated flexibility by iteratively expanding its local procurement list, which grew from eight products in 2014 to a projected 29 by late 2017.

The document analyzes the challenges and initiatives related to women's participation in Papua New Guinea's extractives sector. It highlights the Women in Mining (WIM) initiative and the WIM National Action Plan 2007–2012 as strategic efforts to address gender inequality and empower women in remote areas. While some private sector programs, such as at the Lihir mine, have successfully increased female employment, the report notes that overall economic growth from minerals has not significantly reduced income poverty or social inequalities in the country.