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GEEREF NeXt adopts the EIB Group’s Gender Strategy to address the gendered nature of energy poverty in developing countries. The fund focuses on the upstream renewable energy value chain, aiming to avoid aggravating existing inequalities while promoting female entrepreneurship and representation in the energy workforce. It identifies specific risks associated with on-grid projects, such as discriminatory land-use norms and limited female employment, and plans to require Investee Funds to conduct project-specific gender assessments supported by the GEEREF NeXt Technical Assistance Facility.

The report examines the complex security landscape in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, where large-scale investments in LNG, rubies, and graphite coexist with a violent insurgency. It identifies a 'hybrid security environment' comprising the Mozambican Republican Police (PRM), Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), community-based Força Locale, Rwandan Security Forces (RSF), and Private Security Companies (PSCs). The analysis highlights systemic human rights abuses by national forces, the relative effectiveness and trust associated with Rwandan forces, and the governance risks inherent in the private security sector. It concludes that uneven security provision—prioritising commercial assets over rural populations—fuels local grievances and instability, recommending standardised human rights due diligence and formalised public-private coordination.

The report examines the escalation of extremist activity in southern Africa, highlighting the dual threats of far-right militancy and Islamist insurgency. It details the specific security challenges in South Africa, including the activities of the National Christian Resistance Movement and IS-linked cells, and provides an in-depth analysis of the insurgency in northern Mozambique. The author argues that the Mozambican conflict is fueled by transnational criminal networks, including human smuggling and the heroin trade, and criticizes the slow, bureaucratic responses of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). The document concludes with recommendations for integrated national strategies, improved inter-agency collaboration, and a shift toward preventative governance to address the root causes of extremism.

The report examines the 'resource curse' in Southern Africa, specifically regarding LNG projects in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It highlights a gap between Africa's significant gas discoveries—accounting for nearly 40% of global discoveries in the last decade—and actual production due to socio-political instability. The document argues that without structural democratic reform and meaningful community consultation, resource wealth fails to translate into broad-based development, as seen in Angola. It recommends that governments and investors prioritize 'Free, Prior, Informed and Continuous Consent' and align mining projects with the Africa Mining Vision and SADC Protocol on Energy to avoid conflict and environmental degradation.

The document introduces 'metacoupling' as a research lens to understand the interdependence of social-ecological systems (SES) across local (intracoupling), adjacent (pericoupling), and distant (telecoupling) scales. By integrating an equity lens—focusing on distributional, procedural, and recognitional dimensions—the framework reveals how global flows of resources and capital influence local inequities. Case studies in South Africa and Namibia illustrate that international market demands and certification standards often marginalize small-scale producers and riverine communities, while power imbalances between local actors and multinational entities constrain equitable resource access.

The EU is establishing Strategic Partnerships with 14 countries to secure critical minerals for its 2050 climate neutrality goal. Global Witness argues that these deals prioritize resource access over social and environmental governance, citing specific risks in Serbia, Rwanda, Australia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author calls for the EU to implement stringent safeguards and transparent 'Roadmaps' to ensure the energy transition does not perpetuate human rights abuses or environmental destruction.

Between 2021 and 2023, mining for copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel was linked to 334 incidents of violence or protest across 19 top-producing countries, averaging 111 per year. Nearly 90% of these events occurred in emerging and developing economies, while the majority of production is controlled by companies from advanced economies and major consumer countries, primarily China. The report warns that social unrest is likely to increase as production is forecast to spike by 2028 to meet climate goals, potentially destabilizing supply chains and increasing costs for renewable technologies.

An investigation into the Democratic Republic of Congo's nascent lithium industry reveals significant risks related to governance, transparency, and environmental impact. The report highlights that mining concessions near Manono are controlled by a small group of individuals with close ties to government officials and former President Kabila. It warns that without urgent due diligence and adherence to international standards, the green energy transition could repeat the mistakes of fossil fuel extraction by undermining local communities and the environment.

The Sombwe Dam project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens Upemba National Park, potentially violating national conservation law and risking the loss of rare species and critical forests. The project, intended to power the copper and cobalt mining belt, could release 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the end of the century due to forest submergence. Global Witness calls for the suspension of work by PowerChina and demands that international financiers and the DRC government seek alternative sites to avoid devastating biodiversity and climate impacts.

A Global Witness investigation warns that the rehabilitation of the Lobito Corridor railway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) threatens low-income residents of Kolwezi with forced evictions. The report highlights a critical gap in legal protections, as the project is governed by the 1977 Law of Expropriation for Public Utility—which only requires compensation—rather than the more stringent 2002 Mining Code. Legal ambiguities regarding land titles, particularly those involving the national rail company (SNCC), and disputes over the width of the railway's buffer zone further expose residents to displacement. The report argues that the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) could provide a mechanism for accountability for companies like Trafigura and Mota-Engil, provided the law is not weakened by proposed amendments. It concludes with recommendations for the EU, the DRC government, and investors to implement meaningful consultations, independent monitoring, and higher resettlement standards.

A Global Witness investigation alleges that Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has engaged in a decades-long covert influence campaign in Zambia, including the alleged funding of President Hakainde Hichilema's party (UPND). The report claims this relationship resulted in significant tax breaks for FQM and other mining firms, totaling an estimated $771 million in savings for FQM between 2022 and 2025. The investigation further details the role of the Brenthurst Foundation and SABI Strategy in shaping economic policy and managing disinformation campaigns to support Hichilema's political rise and retention of power.

The document outlines three priority areas for the U.S. administration: promoting transparency in the extractive industries through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and legislative disclosure, strengthening anti-money laundering frameworks to prevent the looting of state funds, and breaking the link between the mineral trade and conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Sombwe dam project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens the Upemba National Park, potentially flooding tropical forests and endangering rare species like savannah elephants and zebras. Global Witness reports that the 160 MW project may violate Congolese conservation law and could release 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 by the end of the century. The report highlights failures in the initial environmental impact study and calls on the constructor, PowerChina, and international financial backers—including BlackRock and Standard Chartered—to suspend work and seek an alternative site.

Global Witness reports that an $800 million agreement between the DRC's state-owned miner, Gécamines, and the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) for the Deziwa mine violates national mining laws due to the non-publication of key contract details. Analysis suggests the deal may be unfair to the DRC, specifically noting that a signature bonus to Gécamines might only be worth 50 percent of the promised headline figure. The report also highlights concerns regarding a fixer, Siu Kam Ng, who admitted to making suspect payments to DRC officials and currently holds a stake in CNMC's DRC businesses. Global Witness calls for the full publication of all contracts and financial models, and for CNMC to align its investments with social responsibility guidelines.

The report details how armed groups in the Central African Republic, specifically the Seleka and anti-balaka, have systematically exploited diamond resources to fund violence. It highlights the failure of the Kimberley Process suspension to stop the flow of diamonds, which are 'naturalised' in neighbouring countries like Cameroon to enter international markets. The document warns that the introduction of 'compliant zones' for legal exports risks legitimising conflict diamonds, particularly those amassed in stockpiles by buying houses like Sodiam and Badica during the export ban.

In 2022, Global Witness documented at least 177 killings of land and environmental defenders, bringing the total since 2012 to 1,910. Latin America remains the most dangerous region, accounting for 88% of 2022 deaths, with Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico as the most lethal countries. The report highlights a critical pattern of violence in the Amazon, where 22% of global killings occurred, often linked to illegal mining and agribusiness. Indigenous peoples are disproportionately targeted, representing over one-third of the victims. Beyond lethal attacks, the report details the increasing use of criminalization and harassment to silence activists, particularly in Asia and Africa. It calls for stronger corporate accountability, specifically urging the European Union to implement the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to hold companies responsible for human rights abuses in their global supply chains.

The document details the systematic exploitation of diamond resources in the Central African Republic by armed groups such as the Séléka and anti-balaka. It describes a sophisticated black market where diamonds are smuggled through neighboring countries and 'naturalized' with false origins to enter international markets. The report criticizes the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process, noting that the partial lifting of export bans through 'compliant zones' may be undermined by internal smuggling and the existence of large stockpiles acquired during the conflict period by buying offices like Badica and Sodiam.

An investigation by Global Witness found that ten European companies imported approximately €2 million worth of high-risk timber from Industrie Forestière du Congo (IFCO) in 2018. The report alleges that IFCO engaged in illegal logging practices, including operating outside boundaries and failing to pay taxes, while potentially maintaining links to sanctions-listed Hezbollah financiers via its predecessor, Cotrefor.

The document outlines a framework for analyzing payments made by oil, gas, and mining companies to governments. It details ten specific tests—ranging from simple checks of payment types to complex revenue forecast comparisons—designed to identify 'red flags' or discrepancies that may indicate revenue loss due to bad deals, tax avoidance, or lack of enforcement. The guide emphasizes the use of supplementary data, such as fiscal terms and international commodity prices, to verify the accuracy of company disclosures.

Global Witness asserts that its investigation into Dan Gertler's use of a suspected international money laundering network to evade US sanctions is based on rigorous evidence. The organization reports that prior to and following publication, it and its partner, the Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), faced intimidation tactics, including a criminal complaint filed by Afriland First Bank in Paris and coordinated social media smear campaigns. Global Witness maintains that these actions are intended to protect the status quo of the DRC mining sector and calls on Congolese, US, and EU authorities to investigate the findings.