The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on Thursday (July 18) will hold a hearing titled "Is There an African Resource Curse?"
Scheduled witnesses are:
1) Corinna Gilfillan, Director, Global Witness, USA.
The mission of Global Witness, according to its "Our Work" page at GlobalWitness.com:
For 19 years, Global Witness has run pioneering campaigns against natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses. From Cambodia to Congo, Sierra Leone to Angola, we have exposed the brutality and injustice that results from the fight to access and control natural resource wealth, and have sought to bring the perpetrators of this corruption and conflict to book.
Our work has revealed how, rather than benefiting a country’s citizens, abundant timber, diamonds, minerals, oil and other natural resources can incentivise corruption, destabilise governments, and lead to war. Through our investigations, advocacy and campaigning, we seek solutions to the ‘resource curse’ so that citizens of resource-rich countries can get a fair share of their country’s wealth.
2) Mohammed Amin Adam, Executive Director, Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP).
ACEP describes itself as an:
African energy policy think tank, an advisory based organization working with partners around the World and especially in Africa to harness the potential of Africa’s vast energy resources (oil, gas and renewable) for the accelerated development of the Continent. The Centre recently added mineral policy to its portfolio following the demand by stakeholders to expand our reach to helping address the problems facing Africa’s mining sector.
3) Anquan Boldin, Ambassador, Oxfam America.
Oxfam America, according to its website, is a:
global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. We save lives, develop long-term solutions to poverty, and campaign for social change. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions.
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) is subcommitte chairman. Rep. Karen Bass (Calif.) is the Ranking Democrat.
The hearing will be held at 2200 House Rayburn Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 at 2 p.m. The hearing is also will be made available via webcast.
Comments