Peacebuilding and Extractives in Fragile and Conflict-affected States

This helpdesk report looks into the impacts of approaches and initiatives designed to either reduce conflict risk or maximise peacebuilding and developmental opportunities, associated with increased natural resource extraction – with a particular focus on non-renewable extractive resources such as minerals, oil and gas – in fragile and conflict-affected states. Drawing on reviews done by Roy (2017, p. 228) and Ríos et al. (2015) on various resource management tools along the extractive industries value chain which have attempted to disrupt one or more of the resource-conflict links ‘in order to contribute to (post-conflict) stability and long-term sustainable peace’, the sections of the report are framed as follows: awarding of contracts and licenses, regulation and monitoring of operations, regulation and monitoring of operations, revenue management and distribution and finally, sustainability and development. In rolling out intervention strategies, the differing impact of extractive industries on men and women needs to be incorporated. Despite an existing focus within the literature on the links between natural resource extraction and conflict, the body of literature looking at approaches and initiatives to reducing conflict risk and maximising the peacebuilding and development opportunities of natural resource extraction is still small and limited and more research is needed.