2007

On October 15th the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published its annual World Investment Report. The World Investment Report 2007 focuses on the role of transnational corporations in extractive industries and documents their presence in many of the world’s poorest countries.

Following the Kimberley Process general Assembley Fatal Transactions organises a one day conference:"Minding the mines: resource certification and revision of contracts in the mining industry in Africa".

Wroclaw University invited students from Eastern European countries to discuss conflicts in Africa and more specific topics such as the role of resource exploitation in African society. From 10th – 16th November the Fatal Transactions Summer School became reality and students from all over Eastern Europe came to the University of Wroclaw in Poland to learn about ‘Fatal Transactions’.

From 10-15th of September 2007 Fatal Transactions’ Polish partner organises a summer school at the University of Wroclaw. Preceding the summer school the University will host an international conference on conflict resources. The summer school will host student participants from Central and Eastern Europe.

“Mapping interests in conflict areas: Katanga” reports on the presence and motives of (ex-) combatants in the Congolese province of Katanga. The ‘Mapping interests in conflict areas’ reports are the fruit of a new and experimental research method.

Fatal Transactions attended the General Assembly of the Kimberely Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The Kimberley Process is a government-led rough diamond certification scheme that was created to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds. Member governments are required to pass national legislation and set up an import/export control system to implement the Kimberley Process.

Less than a week before the G8-summit in Heiligendamm the Heinrich Boell Foundation, together with the German Federal Minister Wieczorek-Zeul, launched its Memorandum “To Have and Have Not” concerning the world-wide challenges in the resource sector.

The Bonn International Center for Conversion has seconded Willem Jaspers to the European Commission for the duration of the EU Chairmanship of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Willem Jaspers has started this new position in April and is now based in Brussels.

Mining contracts are vital to the development of the DRC. After thirty years of dictatorship and over fifteen years of war and transition, the Congolese people have immense needs. The DRC has abundant mining resources. A fair exploitation of those resources should allow for the reconstruction and the development of the country.