The report is launched as fight engulfs the town of Goma in North Kivu, displacing at least 50,000 people most of whom had already fled fighting north of Goma earlier this year to find shelter in internally displaced camps in the town.
"Only now with the strategic town of Goma under threat, the world is starting to take notice. But since April the civilian population has been subjected to a staggering increase in killing, rape and extortion," Oxfam America's Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor Noah Gottschalk said.
According to Oxfam, Congolese civilians are not only suffering violent abuse on a massive scale - including rape, kidnap and murder – but are also being subjected to an unprecedented level of financial exploitation, as belligerents loot and extort illegal taxes in their battle for control.
Evidence gathered recently by Oxfam in a survey of more than 1,300 people in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Province Orientale shows that government soldiers and civilian authorities, including the local police, and armed rebel groups are vying for control over local communities to extort money and goods from them. In some areas such as northern Masisi and southern Lubero, vulnerable communities have become one of the most important sources of income for armed groups.
The crisis in DRC has deteriorated rapidly since April of this year when former CNDP (Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple) soldiers defected to form a new group, the M23 (Mouvement 23). Over the past eight months eastern Congo has seen increased activity among armed groups who consistently rape, kill, kidnap, torture and abuse civilians. Many of these groups are taking advantage of power vacuums left as government troops have moved to fight M23 rebels elsewhere. The most insecure areas are those where rebel groups are fighting for control and the number of contested territories has increased significantly in 2012.
“Ruthless militias and government troops are both mercilessly exploiting local communities to help fund their war,” said Oxfam’s associate country director, Elodie Martel. “Preying on people has become an extractive industry in which armed groups plunder money, food and whatever other resources they can find. People are leaving their homes everyday to escape the terror of rebel rule and the relentless extortion that makes existence almost impossible as their lives and livelihoods are looted.”
The aid agency said exploitation has reached appalling levels with people facing violent forced recruitment, forced labor and continuous illegal taxation. As battles rage back and forth over strategic territory and communities, people are fleeing - many to rapidly growing camps where they are forced to live in terrible conditions with very little help. Since the beginning of the year, 767,000 people in North and South Kivu have left their homes due to conflict.
In northern Masisi in North Kivu, the small market town of Kashuga was attacked 12 times between April and July 2012 by Congolese army troops, as well as the APCLS (Alliance des Patriotes pour un Congo Libre et Souverain) and FDLR (Forces Démocratique de Libération du Rwanda) rebel groups. They were fighting over control of illegal tax revenues imposed on local people selling or buying goods at the weekly market.
Elsewhere in Masisi farmers said they had to pay 1,000 Congolese Francs (approximately $1 or the equivalent to 2–3kgs of beans) to the local rebel group, Mayi-Mayi Nyatura, for each person wanting to access their fields to farm their crops.
In Irumu, Ituri, in Province Orientale, women market sellers said they had to give wood and straw to the militia when arriving at the market, and that every household had to give 500 Congolese Francs ($0.5) to the militia each month. Oxfam was told that taxes are seen as a way of reducing the risk of abuse by armed groups and have become known as protection taxes labelled lala salama – Swahili for “sleep peacefully” – or remger ubuzima for “protect life”.
The assessment found that communities face pervasive abuse by both armed rebel groups and government forces but around two thirds of people said that, despite the abuse and the environment of impunity, they felt more secure living under FARDC control.
In the absence of an effective state authority, many people said they feel abandoned by central government and in some areas have taken justice into their own hands by forming their own armed force – adding to the plethora of armed groups in the east.
“In the face of abuse and exploitation on this scale there is no room for apathy. This is a humanitarian catastrophe on a massive scale and the world cannot continue to turn its back on this tragedy. Communities in eastern Congo are living on the very edge of survival with the little they have being taken to fund the war. Not only does the conflict mean that people are under constant threat of violence, but it is taking the clothes off their backs and the harvest from their fields,” said Martel.
“It is reprehensible that another year goes by with people telling us they go to bed afraid of killing, lootings and abductions and that women are too afraid to go to their fields for fear of being raped. The Congolese Government, the United Nations, the international community must listen and respond to the people paying the ultimate price for the conflict.”
Notes to editors:
In a stunt in front of the Capitol, Oxfam activists inflated a giant 15x18 foot yellow duck to make its point that cutting foreign aid would simply be lame. The activists also delivered a packet of yellow duck-shaped candies and information about life saving foreign aid directly to each House and Senate office to help drive the message home.
“Congress shouldn’t duck common sense as it wades through the upcoming budget negotiations,” said Linda Delgado, government affairs director for Oxfam America. “The fight against global poverty is one of America’s proudest traditions and smartest investments. Congress must protect these vital programs from cuts – they save millions of lives, help people thrive, and reduce the need for assistance in the long run.”
Effective aid has reduced the number of children who die before their fifth birthday by four million since 1990, put 33 million more children in the classroom, provided urgent humanitarian assistance to tens of millions of people affected by natural disasters and conflicts, and increased tenfold the number of people receiving HIV/AIDS medication. US aid also helps people and countries around the world invest in their own self-reliance, reducing the need for assistance over the long term.
“America’s investments in the fight against poverty have helped eradicate polio, fuel the Green Revolution, and rebuild shattered economies,” said Gregory Adams, director of aid effectiveness for Oxfam America. “Foreign aid has also helped build some of America’s strongest allies, like Turkey, South Korea, and Poland. When you look at that record, and then consider the cost—less than one percent of the federal budget—Congress would have to be quackers to vote to cut aid!”
In order to help address the need of those living in acute poverty, Oxfam urged Congress to fund poverty-focused accounts to at least FY 2013 Senate levels. Any further cuts would disrupt life-saving programs and dismantle much of the progress the US government has made in recent decades to improve the efficiency and impact of our assistance. Worse yet, if Congress is unable to reach agreement on sequestration before the end of the year, devastating automatic cuts will kick in that could make the difference between life and death for many of the world’s poor but would not even make a dent to help solve our federal budget deficit.
“Lifesaving foreign aid is often unfairly singled out for ugly duckling cuts in Washington’s budget fights,” said Delgado. “The leadership in the House and Senate must get their ducks in a row and support Senate funding levels for poverty-focused development assistance and prevent devastating mandatory cuts to these life-saving programs.”
]]>“Gift-giving can be a thoughtful process that reflects on the giver as well as the recipient. We think ‘you are what you give’ so why not give a gift that helps others and is fun at the same time?” said Stephanie Kurzina, vice president for development and communications at Oxfam America. “Be a hardy pig, an income-generating vegetable garden, or an essential and productive tool.”
Oxfam’s Unwrapped catalog offers items that symbolically represent the organization’s lifesaving work, and each purchase is a contribution toward Oxfam’s many programs that help people living in poverty throughout the world.
“You can ‘be’ over 70 products offered at oxfamgifts.com.com. So this year, give a helpful gift with a little more meaning,” Kurzina said. “You can be proud of the gift you give. Your family, friend, or colleague receives a card explaining the good the gift does, and someone in need receives the help they need.”
Oxfam America’s 2012 holiday campaign will be featured nationally in an integrated marketing campaign including outdoor, print, and online ads, a social media presence on Facebook (www.facebook.com/oxfamamerica) and Twitter (@OxfamAmerica), and a video featuring comedian and actor Aziz Ansari which will air on television and the internet.
Oxfam America is offering a selection of gifts at a range of prices, including everything from goats and honey bees to books for kids and mosquito nets. All gift contributions are general donations to support Oxfam America’s mission of fighting poverty, hunger and injustice in over 90 countries around the world. Gifts are fully tax-deductible. Visit OxfamGifts.com now to choose what you will ‘be’ this holiday season.
Camera-ready art and Oxfam America spokespeople are available to the press.
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Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. To learn more, go to OxfamAmerica.org.
]]>The American Petroleum Institute (API), the US Chamber of Commerce and two trade groups submitted a motion to the SEC to delay implementation of the agency’s final rule after filing a lawsuit to strike down the regulation and overturn the law. The motion asked the SEC for a stay of the rule until the lawsuit was concluded.
“We commend the SEC for refusing to give in to the demands of Big Oil and not caving under industry pressure,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “Protection of the final SEC rule is essential to shedding light on the murky world of financial flows between oil and mining companies and governments.”
Known as Section 1504 or the Cardin-Lugar provision, the law would help stem corruption in resource-rich countries and provide a wealth of information to investors. The SEC issued final regulations on August 22, 2012, requiring companies to start reporting their payments for fiscal years ending after September 30, 2013. Despite a fair hearing in the SEC’s two-year rulemaking process and during the time that Congress considered the law, the oil industry continues to fight the law.
In its decision denying the stay issued last night, the SEC said that the industry groups have “not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits” and that their arguments regarding alleged competitive harm were "too speculative and unsupported by evidence to warrant a stay.” While companies have alleged that some foreign governments prohibit the disclosures required by the law, the SEC said that the oil industry has "not demonstrated that it is likely that any foreign government currently prohibits" disclosures. The SEC also concluded that the groups “have failed to carry their burden to demonstrate imminent, irreparable harm.” Merely spending money to prepare to comply with a rule does not constitute irreparable harm, the agency concluded.
Last week, Senators Cardin, Lugar, Levin and Leahy wrote to the SEC calling on them to deny the stay. “Any delay in implementing the rule will further frustrate the intent of the statute, and cause harm to investors and citizens in the United States
and abroad, who anxiously await these disclosures to analyze and manage risk and hold their governments to account,” the Senators said in their letter. The SEC agreed that granting a stay would “not serve the public interest.”
“API and its members say they support transparency in principle, but in practice they’ve launched a legal assault on this landmark US law,” said Gary. “If oil companies have nothing to hide then they should disassociate themselves from the lawsuit.”
Last week, the court hearing the case accepted Oxfam America’s request for leave to intervene in the lawsuit. Final briefs are due in that case in January.
“We’ve been a leader in this fight since the beginning and we are intervening in the case to ensure that the court is not just hearing from the oil companies,” said Gary. “Citizens in resource-rich countries and investors in the US are eagerly awaiting the disclosures. We will continue fighting until this landmark victory for transparency over secrecy is fully implemented.”
Oxfam America is represented in the legal proceedings by EarthRights International, Goulston & Storrs and Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal.
"An agency doesn't have to suspend its rules just because the oil companies disagree with them, said Jonathan Kaufman, staff attorney with EarthRights International and counsel for Oxfam America. “API had to show that it would suffer serious, immediate harm if the rules went into effect, but all it offered was speculation and scare tactics. The SEC recognized this and denied the stay."
]]>“People have been evacuated and transported to safer ground. Their homes have been flooded; they need basic relief like new plastic sheeting and hygiene kits.
“In one area in Croix-des-Bouquets, we spoke to several families who now live with 160 families, more than 500 people, in a fire station. There are pregnant women and young children as part of that one shelter.
“As the rains continue to pour here, Oxfam is preparing to scale up its response to the flooding and to prevent cholera outbreaks. Oxfam is looking at the impact of the hurricane in four key departments and we are mobilizing all local organizations trained in cholera prevention to prepare a large campaign in the coming days. The lack of access to basic drinkable water and safe sanitation in some urban and rural areas are being closely monitored in the most difficult conditions.
“We’re also concerned by initial reports of destruction of agricultural crops caused by hurricane Sandy in the south. The south of Haiti is already food insecure because of the drought and the impacts of tropical storm Isaac. We’re following the situation closely as this will affect thousands of farmers for the planting seasons as well as school nutrition programs.
“Oxfam is supporting local authorities, the Civil Protection Agency (DPC) and the National Direction for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) in various localities in the Region des Palmes, providing them with transport, logistics and equipment for now. We are preparing hygiene kits, cholera prevention kits for distribution for some temporary shelters.”
]]>The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the regulatory agency responsible for implementing the law, issued final regulations on August 22, 2012 and companies are required to start reporting their payment for fiscal years ending after September 30, 2013. However, the American Petroleum Institute (API), a lobby group representing companies such as BP, Exxon, Chevron and Shell, the Chamber of Commerce and two trade groups filed a lawsuit against the SEC last month to overturn the law and block implementation of the rules.
"Big oil is using their corporate power to try getting out of following the law that is clearly in the public interest,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America's oil, gas and mining program. "They had a fair hearing in the SEC’s two-year rulemaking process and during the time that Congress considered the law. The SEC and courts should not cave under industry pressure.”
Oxfam America’s motion to intervene argues that API's lawsuit would negatively impact Oxfam’s mission to ensure citizens in oil and mineral rich countries know how much money their governments receive from the extraction of oil and minerals. Since the organization also holds stock, the motion also argues that the lawsuit undermines Oxfam’s status as an investor in companies such as Chevron and Exxon.
"We've been a leader in this fight since the beginning and we intend to seek to protect this law and SEC’s final regulations in the courts,” said Gary. "We will continue fighting to ensure that this landmark victory for transparency over secrecy is fully implemented.”
Protection of SEC’s rules is essential to shedding light on the murky world of financial flows between oil and mining companies and governments. The communities Oxfam represents in the United States and in foreign countries are eagerly awaiting the disclosures to hold their governments to account.
“We seek to intervene to ensure that the court isn’t just hearing from the oil companies as they try a last ditch effort to use the courts to keep legitimate payments from public view,” added Gary.
In a recent review, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the SEC "complied with applicable requirements in promulgating" the final rule for Section 1504. Investors worth more than $1.2 trillion weighed in with the SEC, asking the agency to quickly implement a final rule that followed the statutory language and Congressional intent. Several companies, such as Talisman Energy, Statoil, AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont Mining already disclose payments in every country of operation, in some cases at the project level as the law and final rule requires. The final rule does not require companies to disclose contracts or contract terms, nor does it require companies to disclose proprietary information.
"If payment disclosures hurt bottom lines, then leading companies like Statoil and Talisman Energy would not already be disclosing this type of information," said Gary. "Any well-run company should already collect and account for this information and if systems aren't in place for tracking payments, investors need to ask why."
Last month, a European parliament committee voted for a law that goes beyond Section 1504 and expected to approve shortly.
]]>“Despite agriculture in Haiti suffering three decades of crisis and neglect, almost 60 percent of Haitians still rely on farming for their livelihoods,” said Yolette Etienne, Country Director for Oxfam in Haiti. “The government and the international community must put greater emphasis on coherent agricultural policies to revitalize production and create value to help Haitians get back on their feet and improve their living conditions.”
Oxfam’s new report, Planting Now (2nd Edition): Revitalizing agriculture for reconstruction and development in Haiti, surveyed representatives of the Haitian government, the international community, and local Haitian organizations. Ninety percent of interviewees stressed that agriculture is Haiti’s main production sector, contributing to a quarter of the GDP and creating 60 percent of available jobs. Yet trade and agricultural policies in Haiti have nearly wiped out the sector’s ability to provide stable livelihoods for Haitian farmers, leading to high levels of food insecurity throughout the country.
“We know the current system has major flaws. Short term projects to improve agriculture may seem effective, but they are not sustainable and will not bring vitality back to Haitian farming. The government must prioritize a long-term approach, allowing the Ministry of Agriculture to take the lead to promote local development that takes into consideration priorities of small scales producers,” said Etienne.
After the earthquake of 2010, the Haitian government developed a National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) to coordinate the efforts of different actors working to revitalize agriculture in Haiti. So far, donors have only funded 47 percent of the $790 million promised to implement the NAIP. The need for greater investment, active political leadership, and better coordination among some humanitarian donors and aid organizations, are necessary conditions for the NAIP to fulfill its function as an indispensable instrument for the growth of Haitian agriculture.
The plight of women is a good illustration of Haiti’s broken farming system. In rural Haiti, women are the head of nearly 40 percent of households and they are very actives in virtually all aspects of agriculture. They play a key role from production to commercialization of local products in local markets, to consumption, but their role is not valued and they are often victims of pay discrimination. The future sustainability of small-scale farming in Haiti depends on equality between women and men.
“There are many actors who feel they have the right answer for improving agriculture in Haiti. We all have a role to play, and coordination is essential. The most important step is to prioritize the NAIP at all levels and adopt a long-term program approach to sustainable agriculture. The Haitian government, international donors, aid organizations, as well as local farmers must work together to bring Haitian agriculture back to what it is – the most promising sector in Haiti,” said Etienne.
In Haiti, Oxfam aligns its work with the Ministry of Agriculture, local authorities and local communities’ priorities. Oxfam’s agricultural programs, carried out in close collaboration with local partners focus on strengthening the capacity of rice farmers in the Artibonite Valley; improving production and incomes for coffee farmers in the north, northeast, and south departments; developing and diversifying promising sectors; , improving agricultural innovation through technological training, improved irrigation systems, and watershed and soil erosion management; and improving agro-processing and commercialization capacities .
Oxfam works with numerous local partners, namely producers associations, cooperatives, and technical assistance structures. Our work in the agricultural sector is not limited to increases in production or productivity; it includes all aspects of advocacy to guarantee more transparency and accountability of the sector.
]]>The law, known as Section 1504 or “Cardin-Lugar” provision of the Dodd-Frank Act requires oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments, such as taxes, they pay to foreign governments for the extraction of oil and minerals. After missing the Congressional deadline by more than a year, the SEC issued final rules on August 22, 2012 and companies are required to start reporting their payments for fiscal years ending after September 30, 2013. Oxfam America believes the SEC conducted a robust and lengthy input process, thoroughly addressing public comments and analyzing the economic consequences of the final rules.
“By approving final regulations for the Cardin-Lugar provision, the SEC acted to lift the veil of secrecy on billions of dollars that flow every year from oil and mining companies to governments around the world,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “The agency followed the letter of the law. Now it’s time for oil companies to comply with the final regulation, not fight it in the courts.
“We are greatly disappointed that the oil industry is trying to use the courts to bully the SEC and push for secrecy in their payments to governments.” said Gary. “We call on companies, such as BP, Exxon, Chevron and Shell, who are hiding behind industry associations to do their dirty work while espousing transparency rhetoric, to disassociate themselves from the lawsuit.”
In a recent review, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the rule promulgated by the SEC is legally sound. Investors worth more than $1.2 trillion weighed in with the SEC, asking the agency to quickly implement a final rule that followed the statutory language and Congressional intent. Several companies, such as Talisman Energy, Statoil, AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont Mining already disclose payments in every country of operation, in some cases at the project level as the law and final rule requires. The final rule does not require companies to disclose contracts or contract terms, nor does it require companies to disclose proprietary information.
“If payment disclosures hurt bottom lines, then leading companies like Statoil and Talisman Energy would not already be disclosing this type of information,” said Gary. “Any well-run company should already collect and account for this information and if systems aren’t in place for tracking payments, investors need to ask why.
“The oil industry loves to trumpet their contributions to society but when a new law requires them to tell the public exactly how much money they pay to governments around the world, they bring out the lobbyists and file a lawsuit,” continued Gary. “This lawsuit is wholly incompatible with the industry’s transparency commitments and embrace of payment disclosure through such initiatives as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.”
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the US Chamber of Commerce, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the National Foreign Trade Council.
]]>“The World Bank’s mission is tackle global poverty so they have a responsibility to help stop this unbridled rush for land," said O’Brien. “As food prices spike and competition for food and natural resources intensify, land grabs are likely to accelerate. We must take urgent action to ensure that poor people’s rights are protected.”
/Ends
Notes to editors:
According to the International Land Coalition, 500 million acres of land was acquired in major deals globally between 2000 and 2010.
The same research shows that 260 million acres of land in developing countries was acquired by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010.
For more information see: www.oxfamamerica.org/landfreeze
For a video introduction to Land Grabs see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUXMPczM7D4&feature=player_embedded
]]>“There is nothing more important to me than fighting for a world where everyone has enough to eat,” said Chef Jose Andres, Director and Chair of the World Central Kitchen. “I’m proud to work with Oxfam America’s GROW campaign to help make it easy for everyone to get involved and take action in their own homes and communities.”
Oxfam’s week of action will not only raise awareness, but will also bring about hundreds of solutions-oriented events large and small in cities and towns around the country:
Oxfam is providing World Food Day materials, including placemats, celebrity chef recipe cards, banners and stickers at no cost for those who would like to host their own event at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/worldfoodday.
The GROW campaign aims to help American families connect to small scale farmers around the world to build a more fair and equitable global food system. World Food Day helps engage individuals, companies and governments in actions that will help achieve this vision.
“Nearly one in seven people around the world go to bed hungry every night, not because we don’t have enough food for everyone, but because of inequality in access to resources and opportunity,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “We have more power as individuals than we realize to change things. World Food Day is the moment to seize this power and demand changes that will reduce inequality, fight hunger and help build a world where everyone has enough to eat now and in the future.”
/ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Find out more about World Food Day at: www.oxfamamerica.org/worldfoodday
Check out Oxfam’s Grow Method at: www.oxfamamerica.org/growmethod
Restaurants hosting meals for World Food Day include:
Columbus, OH - Black Street Bistro
Minneapolis, MN - Red Stag SupperClub
Los Angeles, CA - Stella Rossa
San Francisco, CA - Source
Seattle, WA - Plum Vegan Bistro
Albuquerque, NM - Slate Street Cafe
Chicago, IL - Karyn's on Green
Austin, TX - Salty Sow
Madison, WI - Graze
Kansas City, MO - The Westside Local
Indianapolis, IN - Pure Eatery
Burlington, VT - Farmhouse Tap and Grill
Boston, MA - Garden at the Cellar
Philadelphia, PA - Audrey Claire
New York, NY- Sun in Bloom
For more details see http://www.grubwithus.com/oxfam
The aid organizations – Oxfam, Mercy Corps, Islamic Relief, CARE International, Merlin, International Medical Corps, Yemen Relief and Development Forum (YRDF) and the Humanitarian Forum – said that despite generous pledges of $6.4 billion made at a conference in Riyadh, the humanitarian response was still dangerously under-funded with the majority of pledged funds being allocated to infrastructure and macro-economic stability. This year’s UN appeal for $585 million for Yemen’s emergency needs is still less than half-funded. This shortfall could be closed with a fraction – just over 4 percent - of the funds promised in Riyadh. There is no reason for an under-funded humanitarian response, say the organizations.
Recent surveys have uncovered high malnutrition rates in Lahj in the south and Hajjah in the north, and organizations are now responding to needs in Abyan, which until recently was a no-go area wracked by fighting between the Yemeni government and insurgents. The aid organizations said that although longer-term funding was essential, it would not help Yemen achieve development and stability unless matched with immediate funding to tackle the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Colette Fearon, Country Director of Oxfam in Yemen, said: “With each passing day, the crisis gets tougher. Children’s futures are at risk with some of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. Women tell Oxfam that their lives have got worse since last year's political upheaval. They can’t afford food or find work. Parents are pulling children out of school to beg, marrying their daughters early and selling what little they have just to get food today. They know this will make life harder in the future, but have little choice. People cannot survive on promises, however generous. It would take a fraction of the money already promised to fully fund the UN appeal.”
The organizations urged donors not to repeat the mistakes of the past where funds were pledged to Yemen, but did not materialize. In 2006, five billion dollars was promised to Yemen, but in early 2010 less than 10 percent had been disbursed. They called on the Friends of Yemen to ensure a comprehensive strategy and accountable and transparent plan detailing how the money would be spent and by when, with clear indicators that national and international civil society could monitor. They said this would help ensure that humanitarian funding was quickly followed by investment to tackle the root causes of Yemen’s hunger crisis.
Mohammed Qazilbash, Mercy Corps Yemen Country Director said: “The humanitarian crisis is staggering and Yemen needs immediate assistance to help the millions of Yemenis who are hungry right now. As world leaders gather to discuss Yemen’s future, we urge them not only to meet pressing needs on the ground, but to ensure that there is a plan in place to address the root causes of the crisis. Unemployment and high food prices mean that people cannot afford food today. By investing in the private sector, supporting market development, job training and youth employment programs, donors can give Yemenis a better future and break the cycle of hunger.”
The UN is expected to request another $92 million to address needs in Abyan in the coming months. The organizations said this could be covered with just over one percent of the $6.4 billion pledged.
“Malnutrition rates in Hodeidah have exceeded the emergency threshold by 100 percent, so Islamic Relief is launching a health, nutrition and livelihood programs there, it’s aim is to save lives,” said Islamic Relief Country Director Hashem Awnallah, adding that the organizations is also targeting Abyan and Lahj, but “more resources are needed to keep current operations in place and reach out further.”
The call of the international aid organizations is echoed by Yemeni civil society. In a recent civil society conference in Riyadh, over 100 civil society representatives from across Yemen agreed that the humanitarian crisis should be a key priority for funding. The Yemeni diaspora is also campaigning for recognition of the hunger crisis through its Hungry4Change campaign.
Click here to support Oxfam's humanitarian response program in Yemen.
]]>“Too often, communities have no say in the decision of whether to extract resources from their backyards and receive little information about these projects,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “With more than half of the world’s poorest people living in countries rich in natural resources, the increasing trend of companies incorporating human rights in their policies is encouraging.”
The research released today reviews the public policies of 28 oil and mining companies. Five of the companies surveyed (Inmet, Newmont, Talisman Energy, Rio Tinto and Xstrata with total market cap of $180.58 billion) have made explicit public commitments to Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), a number which has more than doubled since a 2009 Oxfam America report. Another eight companies (including Anglo American, BP, Repsol, and others) have made somewhat qualified or indirect commitments to FPIC. The report assesses stated policies but does not attempt to measure observance of corporate policies.
FPIC is considered the gold standard of policies since it requires communities to be adequately informed about oil, gas and mining projects in a timely manner and given the opportunity to approve (or reject) a project prior to the commencement of operations. FPIC is a right for indigenous peoples according to international law, and Oxfam America believes that it is also a best practice for sustainable development of any oil, gas, or mining project.
The report also finds that approximately two-thirds of the companies surveyed now have incorporated the concept of community consent or less strong concepts such as community support or social license in their policies regarding development activities, either directly or indirectly through their commitments to other standards. Some companies that only referenced consultation or community engagement in 2009 now have policies more aligned with community support or social license principles, including ExxonMobil, Total, Shell, and Barrick Gold.
With intensified conflicts over land, water and mineral rights, business as usual is simply not going to cut it,” said Offenheiser. “Companies need to work with communities to ensure they have a meaningful voice in the decision-making process and that projects are designed in ways that respect human rights.”
The change within companies in the last three years is likely due in large part to the intensification of controversies and conflicts surrounding oil, gas and mining projects coupled with new international lending standards set by the World Bank’s private sector lending arm - the International Finance Corporation. Total World Bank Group’s commitment to the extractive industries sector has averaged US$910 million per year over the last five fiscal years.
“In order for oil and mining companies to survive in the coming decades, they need to transform themselves from primarily resource extractors to development partners," said Offenheiser. "Companies that fail to implement the policies will be at a competitive disadvantage."
FPIC is a dynamic process. It ensures communities receive adequate and timely information about oil, mining, and other development projects affecting them and their lands. It also ensures that communities have the opportunity to approve or reject projects. However, some governments and companies fear that FPIC implies a one-off procedure, a simple yes or no vote, but it’s really about giving all sides the opportunity to share their concerns. Within an FPIC process, for example, an oil company could learn that its planned pipeline is located on land considered sacred by the community. With that information, the company can choose to reroute the pipeline to another site, improving its relationship with local communities and in some cases even preventing conflict and revenue losses in the long-term.
In short, yes. International bodies like the International Labour Organization through its Convention No. 169, Concerning Indigenous and Tribal People in Independent Countries, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) have recognized the right to FPIC in certain circumstances. For example, in 2007 the IACHR ruled that the government of Suriname had violated the Saramaka peoples’ right to collective property for awarding a timber concession on their lands without prior consultation. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also calls on states to secure the FPIC of indigenous peoples for projects that affect their lands or resources.
Oil, gas and mining companies have started adopting FPIC into their own policies and standards. For the private sector, it’s a bottom-line issue and it also promotes responsible spending. When communities become unhappy and begin protesting a particular project like blocking off roads or shutting down production facilities, projects becomes riskier. That was the case for Newmont’s Yanaocha Mine in northern Peru. When the company decided to expand the mine without consulting the community, thousands of people staged demonstrations and blocked access to the mine for two weeks. During those two weeks, the company’s stock price fell 7 percent, a loss of more than $ 1 billion in shareholder value, according to calculations made by Oxfam.
Because companies in the oil and mining sector are especially vulnerable to financial and reputational risks, many of them such as Newmont, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, ConocoPhillips, Pluspetrol and Talisman Energy have made some type of commitment to securing community consent prior to launching projects.
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) fund managers have also started highlighting the importance of FPIC as a way to ensure that the companies within their client’s portfolios demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and respect for indigenous peoples’ rights. In 2009, mutual fund company Calvert Asset Management Company removed Weyerhaeuser from the Calvert Social Index for failing to recognize FPIC in its relationship with the Indian Tribe Grassy Narrows First Nation of Ontario, Canada.
More recently, international financial institutions are requiring companies to implement FPIC as a condition of financing. In August 2011, the International Finance Corporation – the World Bank Group’s private sector lending arm – released its new sustainability framework. For the first time, companies receiving IFC financing will be required to consult and receive the FPIC of indigenous communities prior to launching development projects that could potentially impact them adversely. This is a significant move by the IFC. The new policy will set a global standard for companies and financial institutions to follow. This includes the 72 export credit agencies and private banks that commit to the Equator Principles-- a voluntary set of standards for identifying and managing social and environmental risk in project financing. The Equator Principles are based largely on IFC policies.
The practice of FPIC is relatively new. Increasingly, governments, companies, and international financial institutions are embracing FPIC as a best practice and putting it to the test.
A case study produced by Oxfam describes Bolivia’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy successfully applying FPIC during a gas exploration project in the indigenous territory of Charagua Norte e Isoso, located in the Santa Cruz region. The Ministry consulted the community about the project and, prior to exploration, indigenous leaders signed an agreement with the Bolivian government documenting consent for exploration activities by the Argentine company Pluspetrol. The consultation process reached a positive outcome thanks largely to the willingness of the government to respect the use of traditional indigenous institutions and systems, provide complete and truthful information to affected communities, and approach the process with good faith.
]]>Oxfam calls for a scale-up of aid efforts to assist the most vulnerable families affected by the floods and help them survive this crisis.
"Although rain is needed, this year’s excessive rains have destroyed thousands of houses and farmland, and families already struggling to survive have lost everything. These floods were the last thing the country needed," said Samuel Braimah, Country Director for Oxfam in Niger.
Earlier this year, drought across the broader Sahel region brought about a hunger crisis that continues to affect over 5.5 million people in Niger, and cholera has killed up to 96 people so far. Now, exceptionally high food prices, combined with the loss of crops to the floods, are diminishing Niger’s capacity to overcome its challenge to feed its own population.
To respond to the floods, Oxfam and its partners are distributing household kits including soap, mats and mosquito nets, and water and sanitation provisions to almost 40,000 people. Distributions are ongoing in Niamey, Tillabéry, Zinder and Maradi, and will be followed by assistance to rebuild their houses and earn a living.
"This is an urgent situation for everyone. As a temporary measure, schools in Niamey are sheltering flood victims, but thousands of students have to go back to school, and the beginning of the school year has already been postponed by two weeks," said Braimah.
In addition to the emergency assistance provided, a longer-term solution is needed for families to get back on their feet and avoid being flooded again in the future, pressing the need to support and enforce the government’s existing mechanisms to deal with crises.
]]>The vote comes weeks after the United States implemented similar legislation, but in Europe the vote goes further by requiring both public and private companies to report their payments. Both laws require project by project reporting, do not allow exemptions and establish a payment threshold of €80,000 and $100,000. While the law has already gone into effect in the United States, the vote by the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) sends a strong signal for future negotiations between the Member States and the European Parliament to adopt a bold final law.
Ian Gary, senior policy manager with Oxfam’s oil, gas and mining program, said:
“The revolution for transparency in the oil, gas and mining industry is continuing across the Atlantic,” said Gary. “European Parliament’s action today coupled with the US law represents a real step forward in the fight against corruption and the resource curse in developing countries.
“Members of European Parliament and the United States have set bold examples by adopting positions that will champion the rights of the resource-rich poor by giving them project-specific information that will help them hold their governments to account,” said Gary. “Oil and mining companies should see this as an opportunity to push other countries to adopt similar legislation and work with civil society groups to ensure the transparency net is cast far and wide.”
Catherine Olier, Oxfam’s EU development expert, said:
“Members of the European Parliament have shown that they are serious about increasing transparency in all sectors by proposing to extend the legislation to the banking, construction and telecommunication industries. This boost in transparency is desperately needed to ensure that citizens of poor countries can finally start to benefit from the resources that have cursed them for so long.”
Notes to Editors
In 2008 Africa’s oil, gas and minerals exports were worth roughly 9 times the value of international aid to the continent ($393 billion vs $44 billion). And yet many countries have failed to turn natural resource wealth into lasting benefits.
• $300bn - $400bn: this is the amount of money from oil extraction that has been stolen or wasted over the last 50 years in Nigeria, according to Nigeria’s corruption agency.
• $86,000: this is all that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s treasury received from mineral rights in 2006, despite an estimated $1 bn of mineral exports each year.
• Only half of the mining companies paid corporate tax in Zambia in 2008
Source: Eurodad report “Exposing the lost billions”
Examples of how ‘country by country’ reporting would help address tax dodging:
• Swiss mining company Glencore operating in Zambia (Mopani Copper Mine), page 29
• UK brewery SABMiller, operating in Ghana, page 31
Oxfam welcomed the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for finally publishing the rules, under the Dodd-Frank Act, a few weeks ago. These rules will provide important information to investors and citizens and help stem corruption in resource-rich countries. Citizens will be able to use this information to hold their governments accountable. The new US law requires over 1,100 oil, gas and mining companies – including many European-based companies such as Shell, BP and Total – to report how much they are paying not only at the country level but for specific local projects.
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