Civil Society and Global Frameworks

Abstract

The ongoing discovery of oil across large swaths of West Africa and its negative impacts on people and the ecosystem has attracted a plethora of critics from the nongovernmental sector. This chapter explores the intersections between existing global frameworks and those of local civil society agencies as they promote transparency and accountability in West Africa’s petroleum industry. Unofficial efforts by nongovernmental organizations in articulating the needs and demands of various affected communities across the region are discussed and analyzed. Through their multistakeholder and watchdog initiatives at all levels of society, an eclectic mix of nongovernmental and civil society organizations have continued to exert pressure on producer governments and oil companies for the transparent use of proceeds from the region’s emerging oil wealth. Using a combination of judicial measures, research, and documentation of violations, reports, and in some cases direct nonviolent action, civil society has become a factor in crystalizing the growing influence and impact of petro-capitalism in West Africa. Varied multitrack efforts are critical to ensuring that West Africa’s oil riches become a catalyst for development and sustainable growth rather than a curse that hinders and stunts the region’s socioeconomic growth and undermines its stability. The chapter is divided into four main sections. The first part outlines the nature and types of civil society and nongovernmental organizations, both domestic and international; the second section discusses their operational activities and strategies. The third part assesses the impact of civil society’s work on mainstreaming sound resource management in West Africa’s oil industry. The fourth and final section weaves all of the core elements together, outlining the importance of the field of conflict resolution to the oil industry.