Oil, gas and mining have the potential to generate significant revenues for resource-rich countries, and to provide the energy and resources needed to fuel development and economic growth. However, companies in this sector have long faced accusations of involvement in serious human rights abuses. The Resource Centre has tracked more than 1,000 allegations of abuse in this sector over the past 15 years. These include displacement of communities, impacts on land, water, and housing, environmental pollution, denial of freedom of expression and association, child labour, and killings and other attacks on human rights defenders, among others. In light of this track record, some companies and industry associations have developed leading practices and multi-stakeholder initiatives to address human rights abuses in their operations and supply chains.  

This section tracks the human rights impacts of the extractive industries, and industry-specific initiatives to improve companies’ human rights practices. 

In this page, learn more about: 

• How the Mining and Oil, gas & coal industries are responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic
• The Pacific Business & Human Rights portal, including latest news, case studies and findings relating to mining in the Pacific region
• The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's Transition Minerals Tracker
• The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Ugandan Oil Industry Mapping
• The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s analysis of banks and investment firms financing extractives projects in Southern Africa 
• The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark’s ranking of the world’s biggest extractives companies
• Industry initiatives such as the International Council on Mining & Metals
• Recent developments in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative