Preventing Conflict in Resource-rich Countries: The Extractive Industries Value Chain as a Framework for Conflict Prevention

The report’s main objective is to examine the potential opportunities for conflict prevention (both post and pre-conflict) along the extractive industries value chain. This paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility and challenges faced by adopting a conflict-sensitive approach within the World Bank’s EI Value Chain. The approach was to assess each of the links (chevrons) of the value chain in order to identify the potential conflict risks, as well as the potential entry points for conflict prevention measures and policies that will help government, industry, and community, to avoid exacerbating violent conflict in a resource-rich country or project. Such a body of knowledge can help the World Bank, the UN and EU, as well as client countries and other partners, in their planning and coordination of complementary activities when implementing their programmes and projects, particularly when working in the same resource-rich countries.