News and resources
Explore our publications on a wide range of topics, to find the powerful facts, stories and approaches that underpin our work to make the extractive industry more open, accountable and participatory.
Lifting the veil of secrecy on rights abuses caused by Brazil’s mining industry
Mining companies must tackle human rights abuses or risk communities saying no to their operations. This article was originally published by Open Global Rights on 28 October 2021 Brazil has been struck by two devastating mining dam disasters in recent years. In 2015, a tailings dam carrying liquid waste away from the Samarco Mariana mining complex in Minas […]
Summit for Democracy Country Commitments Proposal
On December 9-10, 2021, the first of two Summits for Democracy will take place in the United States with the aim of setting forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today, including corruption, through collective action. Corruption in the oil, gas and mineral sector undermines the efforts […]
We expect better from companies claiming to support the EITI
As part of the EITI 2019 Standard companies that are part of the Initiative are expected to meet a set of transparency asks (known in EITI speak as “Expectations”) linked to key areas such as contract transparency, tax, payments and beneficial ownership transparency Last month, for the first time, the EITI released an assessment of […]
Brazilians suffering in the shadow of mining denied benefits from company payments
A vast iron ore mine in Brazil, owned and operated by UK multinational Anglo American, is causing water shortages, ill-health and disaster anxiety among low-income Afro-descendant communities. Few benefits are visible locally from mining taxes or royalties, according to a new joint report from Brazilian NGO IBASE (Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas) and […]
Brazil: In Search of Transparency
“Water shortages caused by Minas-Rio have reduced local food production. Dust from mine explosions causes respiratory diseases. Fear of tailings dam breach runs high. Rural communities suffer most. There is little evidence of Brazil’s federal, state or local governments managing the mine effectively or getting a fair deal for citizens.” Athayde Motta, Director of IBASE. […]
EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive Briefing
In April, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Sector-specific standards will be developed, and the European Parliament has stressed the importance of identifying high-risk sectors. In the context of the global climate crisis and the European Green Deal, Publish What You Pay (PWYP) advocates for the […]
Re-thinking PWYP coalitions’ effectiveness and inclusivity in challenging times
Case studies from Bantay Kita-PWYP Philippines, PWYP Malawi and PWYP USA To remain effective, pertinent and inclusive, coalitions need to adapt and evolve in response to changing circumstances, obstacles, and challenges. Publish What You Pay (PWYP) led research on three national coalitions, in the Philippines, the US and Malawi, in order to find out […]
Philippines – Trust building: an essential ingredient of an effective coalition
Introduction Bantay Kita-PWYP Philippines has created a model for coalition organising that seeks to strike a balance between formal structure and proximity to communities through relations based on trust and a commitment to elevating community voices. About the coalition The PWYP Philippines coalition, Bantay Kita (shortened here to BK-PWYP), is unique in focusing on […]
PWYP Malawi – partnering with sister coalitions to go ‘beyond data’
Introduction PWYP Malawi advocates for the transparent and accountable use of money the government receives from companies that extract the country’s natural resources. The Malawian EITI process (MWEITI) should offer a key channel for seeking such accountability. But one of the key challenges that the PWYP Malawi coalition has faced is in making the EITI […]
PWYP-US – Adapting for impact
The form that national PWYP coalitions take is largely determined by their purpose, their context, the vision of their leadership and the aspirations of their members. This form ideally evolves in relation to changing circumstances. Until 2020, the PWYP-US coalition had traditionally operated in a way that fits many of the attributes that practitioner-theorists use […]
Burmese activist Kyaw Minn Htut must be released
Publish What You Pay (PWYP) is highly concerned by reports of the arrest of Kyaw Minn Htut, a Burmese human rights and environment activist engaged in the promotion of transparency and accountability in the extractive industries in Myanmar, and a member of the Myanmar EITI MSG. It is reported that on September 6 2021, at […]
Ghana must condemn attacks on civil society members
The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Africa Steering Committee calls on the Ghanaian government to urgently, swiftly and categorically condemn recent attacks on civil society members in the national media ; and to ensure that all civil society actors are able to speak freely on issues pertinent to the good governance of natural resource sector, […]