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The document provides a comprehensive overview of Islamic finance, detailing its foundational Sharia principles, key contracts, and the global landscape of Islamic banking, capital markets, and Takaful. It specifically addresses the under-utilization of Islamic finance in Africa—where assets represent only about 1% of the global total despite a large Muslim population—and offers strategic recommendations for governments to overcome regulatory, fiscal, and capacity barriers to foster economic growth and financial inclusion.

Global Witness reports a surge in unregulated heavy rare earth element (HREE) mining in Myanmar's Kachin State, driven by demand from China for the global green energy transition. The report details severe environmental degradation, including acid-contaminated waterways and soil infertility, alongside critical health issues for workers and social instability in local communities. It highlights that HREE exports to China rose from 19,500 tonnes in 2021 to 41,700 tonnes in 2023, fueling conflict by providing revenue to both the military-aligned militias and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The document further traces these minerals through Chinese refineries and magnet manufacturers to major global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen, noting a lack of transparency and effective ESG oversight in the supply chain.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, controlled by the Joinland Group, is using a purported rubber plantation project on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, as a cover for illegal logging. The investigation finds that the company has failed to plant the promised millions of rubber trees, has bypassed provincial government rejections of its permits, and has operated without legitimate landowner consent. The report links the destruction of this biodiversity hotspot to financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and notes that the harvested timber is exported to China and Japan.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, a subsidiary of Joinland Group, has engaged in illegal logging on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, under the guise of establishing a rubber plantation. The investigation finds that the company bypassed legal land-surveying processes, ignored provincial rejections of its permits, and failed to plant the promised rubber trees while exporting millions of dollars in hardwood to China and Japan. The report further links this activity to a network of international financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and calls for stricter import regulations in China and better governance in Papua New Guinea.

The document criticizes the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates on the UN's Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, specifically at INC-5. It highlights how oil-producing nations have blocked agreements to curtail plastic production as the industry seeks new markets for petroleum products. The text details the environmental and health impacts of plastic, including greenhouse gas emissions, flooding in Mumbai and Indonesia, and toxic pollution in Alberta, Canada. It calls for the 2025 INC-5.2 session to establish specific global reduction targets and ensure the inclusion of Indigenous and civil society voices.

Between January 2013 and April 2020, Chinese financial institutions provided over $22.5 billion USD to companies producing and trading commodities at high risk of driving deforestation. The report highlights that a small number of major commercial banks dominate this financing, often with inadequate due diligence or safeguarding policies. Specific examples include financing for COFCO, which continues to use suppliers suspended by Unilever, and JBS, which has been linked to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The report argues that China's banking regulator should revise commercial banking laws to mandate the exclusion of companies linked to environmental destruction to align with China's 2060 carbon neutrality goal.

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.

A Global Witness investigation reveals that Myanmar has become a critical source of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) for global EV and wind turbine magnets, with exports to China surging from 19,500 tonnes in 2021 to 41,700 tonnes in 2023. The report documents catastrophic environmental damage in Kachin State, including the use of toxic chemicals like ammonium sulfate and oxalic acid via 'in-situ leaching,' which has contaminated rivers and caused severe health issues for miners. The mining activity is largely illegal and controlled by militias aligned with the Myanmar military or the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), potentially funding conflict. The supply chain links these minerals to Chinese state-owned enterprises and subsequently to global brands such as Tesla, Volkswagen, and Siemens Gamesa, though the report notes a lack of definitive evidence for every specific product.

Global Witness reports a surge in unregulated heavy rare earth element (HREE) mining in Myanmar's Kachin State, with exports to China rising from 19,500 tonnes in 2021 to 41,700 tonnes in 2023. The report details devastating environmental damage caused by in-situ leaching, including poisoned watercourses and severe health issues for workers. These minerals are vital for permanent magnets used in EVs and wind turbines, linking global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen to a supply chain dominated by Chinese state-owned firms and Myanmar-based militias. The report argues that the trade finances conflict and calls for strict supply chain due diligence and import restrictions on Myanmar-sourced HREE.

Global Witness estimates that financial institutions in the EU, UK, US, and China generated $1.74 billion in weighted revenues from $157 billion in deals with 20 major agro-industrial companies linked to deforestation between 2016 and 2020. The report highlights a systemic failure of voluntary commitments, noting that major banks like JPMorgan, HSBC, and BNP Paribas continue to fund companies involved in illegal land conversion and human rights abuses in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It argues that these profits should be viewed as a 'forest debt' owed to affected communities and calls for mandatory government regulation to replace ineffective voluntary policies.

The document discusses the path toward a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution, following the adoption of UN Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14 in March 2022. It highlights the shift in perception of plastic pollution from a purely marine issue to a terrestrial one and emphasizes the need for the treaty to address the entire plastic lifecycle, including the limitation of virgin plastic production and the creation of a sustainable circular economy. The author argues that the treaty must resolve regulatory gaps in the international waste trade, where developed nations often export plastic waste to poorer countries under the guise of recycling. To avoid past failures seen in chemical and electronic waste treaties, the document advocates for the integration of the World Trade Organization's Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastic Trade into the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee's process.

The briefing examines the tensions between WTO members over agricultural subsidies, public stocks, and export restrictions. It argues that for MC13 to be successful, the WTO must move beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments, specifically proposing an export restriction exemption for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to ensure food availability during crises.

This report by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) provides preliminary estimates of global energy subsidies by source for 2007, detailing the assumptions and calculations used for nuclear energy, renewable energy, biofuels, fossil fuels, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

The document analyzes the responses of ASEAN nations to US tariffs imposed in April 2025. Most members, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, have prioritized negotiation over retaliation due to high export dependence on the US market. Strategies include individual bilateral discussions, a coordinated regional response led by Malaysia (the 2025 ASEAN chair), diversification via the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and BRICS, and internal economic support packages, such as Thailand's 15 billion USD stimulus.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is a flexible economic initiative involving the United States and 13 other nations, organized around four pillars: connected, resilient, clean, and fair economies. Unlike traditional free trade agreements, IPEF avoids tariff liberalization, which has led to criticisms regarding the lack of U.S. concessions and concerns over the long-term commitment of partners like India. Early ministerial meetings have highlighted tensions over the adoption of high standards, with countries such as Malaysia and Japan requesting transition periods, while the U.S. focuses on digital standards and industrial decarbonization as key areas of influence.

The report examines the environmental impact of the ICT sector, specifically regarding energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the global e-waste trade. It contrasts these negative effects with the potential for ICTs to drive economic growth and support a 'green economy' through improved resource efficiency, dematerialisation, and systemic social transformation. The text highlights the disproportionate burden of e-waste on developing nations and identifies critical policy challenges, such as rebound effects and unintended consequences of digital openness.

The document lists the top 15 oil palm-producing countries as of 2016, including major producers such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, while categorizing them based on harvest area and VSS compliance.

The report examines the challenges facing Kenya's constitutional devolution, specifically the 'unfettered power' of members of county assemblies (MCAs). It details how MCAs have used ambiguous impeachment thresholds in the Constitution and the County Government Act to blackmail county officials and engage in political extortion. The document also highlights significant financial irregularities, citing the misuse of billions of shillings in sitting allowances, travel, and vehicle purchases, while personnel emoluments far exceeded development allocations in the 2013 fiscal year. The authors call for urgent reforms to the devolution architecture and the impeachment process to prevent political elites from subverting public service delivery.

The fact sheet describes Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs) as endogenous, inclusive tools used by indigenous and local communities to define their rights and responsibilities under customary, state, and international law. It details how BCPs facilitate proactive responses to threats like illegal mining and infrastructure projects, and how they support the protection of traditional knowledge and biodiversity. The document provides several case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and promotes a toolkit and website for community facilitators to develop and implement these protocols.

The document introduces 'biocultural community protocols' as tools for Indigenous and local communities to articulate their customary laws, values, and decision-making processes to external actors. It provides a structured four-part framework for facilitators to guide communities through the process of documentation, implementation, and reflection. The toolkit emphasizes endogenous development, legal empowerment, and participatory methods—such as community mapping, participatory video, and 'Legislative Theatre'—to reduce power asymmetries and safeguard collective biocultural heritage against external threats like land grabbing and industrial resource extraction.