“Transparent and accountable mining can contribute to sustainable development. This begins with corruption-free approvals – the very first link in the mining value chain when decisions are made about whether, where, and under what circumstances to permit mining, including who is awarded licences or contracts. Corruption in mining approvals can result in environmentally unsound and socially destructive mining projects being approved, rights to a country’s mineral wealth being granted to unqualified or unethical operators, and politicians or government officials taking advantage of their position to profit from their interests in the sector. Corruption at the start of the mine lifecycle compromises the rest of the process – impairing how operations are monitored and regulated, undermining the collection of taxes and royalties and damaging the mining industry’s social licence to operate. Transparency International has assessed the risks that can lead to corruption in 18 resource-rich countries to identify the warning signals as early as possible. This report demonstrates where and how corruption can get
a foothold in mining approvals processes before ground is even broken. It presents examples from a range of diverse countries and identifies important roles for government, the mining industry and civil society to identify, prevent and mitigate these risks. Our research shows that vulnerabilities to corruption exist in mining approvals regimes across the world, irrespective of their stage of economic development, political context, geographic region, or the size and maturity of their mining sectors. This report draws on real examples to highlight exactly what happens on the ground, identifying both critical risks and the efforts currently in place to mitigate them. To present a truly global picture of risks in mining approvals processes, the examples in this report are drawn from a broad range of contexts: major mining economies such as Australia, Canada and South Africa; emerging mining economies such as Cambodia and Kenya; and 11 members of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The report serves as a useful guide to lawmakers and regulators, companies and civil society organisations – regardless of their location – to assess and enhance the transparency, accountability and integrity of the mining approvals regime in their own countries”