accountable MINING

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been described as a ‘‘geological scandal’‘. Its subsoil is rich with an extraordinary mineral diversity.

With all of these mineral resources, the DRC is considered one of the most important mineral extraction centres in the world. Its untapped mineral reserves are estimated at 24,000 billion dollars (US).

The Ligue Congolaise de Lutte contre la Corruption (LICOCO) is one of the 20 National Chapters of Transparency International participating in the Mining for Sustainable Development Programme.

This programme complements existing efforts to improve transparency and accountability in the extractive industry by focusing specifically on the first stage of the mining value chain: the stage at which governments issue and grant permits and licences, negotiate contracts and sign agreements.

With a better understanding of the nature and causes of corruption risks, LICOCO is committed to developing and implementing solutions to address priority corruption risks. This includes working with relevant stakeholders in government, the mining industry, civil society and communities affected by mining operations to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in decisions to award mining titles.