Transparency and Accountability in the Critical Minerals Value Chain: Strengthening Governance from Community to Global Level

Introduction

The rapid global shift towards renewable energy and green technologies has significantly increased the demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements. These minerals are essential for manufacturing electric vehicles, solar panels, and batteries—technologies central to achieving climate goals. For resource-rich African countries like Uganda, this demand presents enormous economic potential. However, the benefits of this global transition will only be fully realized if transparency and accountability are entrenched at every level of the critical minerals value chain—community, national, and international.

Recognizing this, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), in collaboration with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the European Union, convened a regional forum titled “Transparency in Action: Unlocking Investment in Strategic Minerals for Shared Prosperity in Africa.” The forum took place from 10–11 November 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia, hosted in partnership with the Government of Zambia. The participation of Oxfam and other stakeholders in this dialogue reinforces the shared commitment to responsible investment and inclusive development across the region.

Community-Level Transparency and Accountability

At the local level, transparency in the extractive sector requires timely and accessible information on mining activities, licensing processes, and revenue-sharing mechanisms. Accountability ensures that communities can monitor operations, participate in decision-making, and safeguard social and environmental standards. Strengthening community-based monitoring structures, providing civic education, and building the capacity of local leaders to interpret mining disclosures are essential for ensuring that resource development delivers tangible benefits while minimizing social and environmental risks. Effective transparency empowers communities, reduces conflicts, prevents exploitation, and promotes equitable distribution of benefits.

In Uganda, communities often face challenges in accessing clear, timely information about mining licenses, contracts, and revenue sharing. Limited technical capacity and weak local governance hinder meaningful participation, while fear of reprisals and restricted civic space further reduce accountability. Consequently, mining benefits rarely translate into local development or improved livelihoods.

National-Level Transparency and Accountability

At the national level, Uganda’s extractive governance is constrained by weak enforcement of disclosure laws, limited institutional coordination, and political interference in licensing and revenue management. Fragmented oversight, data inconsistencies, and restricted public access to contracts and financial reports undermine public trust. Capacity gaps within regulatory bodies, coupled with the absence of a fully functional information-sharing system and slow EITI implementation, further limit effective monitoring and accountability in the extractive sector.

National Governance and Policy Frameworks

At the national level, transparency in the extractive sector requires robust policies, regulations, and disclosure mechanisms. Uganda’s adoption of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard is a key step, mandating public disclosure of revenue flows, beneficial ownership, production volumes, and contract terms to enhance accountability and public trust.

Effective implementation requires strong enforcement, coordinated oversight among regulatory agencies, and accessible, understandable data for citizens. Strengthening engagement platforms, supporting local media, and improving data literacy are essential to turn transparency into meaningful oversight.

Uganda’s emerging Critical Minerals Policy must align with regional and international standards to address illicit trade, smuggling, and underreporting. Implementing digital traceability systems that link mine sites to export points can strengthen revenue collection, improve compliance, and support domestic resource mobilization for sustainable development.

Extractive Contract Disclosure and Beneficial Ownership

Extractive contract disclosure ensures that mining and oil/gas contracts between the government and companies are publicly available, detailing royalty rates, taxes, production-sharing arrangements, and environmental obligations. While Uganda has made progress under the EITI framework, many contracts remain partially inaccessible, limiting public scrutiny and accountability.

Beneficial ownership disclosure identifies the natural persons who ultimately own or control extractive companies. In Uganda, this is critical to prevent corruption, tax evasion, and opaque corporate structures that divert revenues from the public. The country is implementing EITI requirements to collect and disclose beneficial ownership information, but gaps remain in completeness, accessibility, and verification. Strengthening both contract and ownership transparency improves revenue management, builds public trust, and promotes responsible investment.

Lessons learned

Several key lessons emerge from Uganda’s experience in managing the critical minerals sector. First, transparency is foundational, requiring timely, clear, and actionable information at community, national, and regional levels to enable effective governance. Second, meaningful community engagement is essential, as empowering local populations through monitoring structures, civic education, and capacity-building ensures that mineral wealth delivers tangible benefits while reducing conflicts. Third, strong institutional coordination and enforcement of disclosure laws at the national level are critical to build public trust and enhance accountability. Fourth, regional and international collaboration, including platforms like the EITI-ICGLR Forum and adherence to international due diligence frameworks, strengthens responsible sourcing and addresses cross-border governance challenges. Fifth, the use of digital traceability and information systems linking mine sites to export points improves revenue collection, prevents illicit trade, and supports domestic resource mobilization. Finally, civil society plays a pivotal role in bridging information gaps, advocating for policy reforms, and ensuring that governance measures translate into inclusive and equitable development outcomes.

Oxfam’s Role

Oxfam Uganda supports governance reforms through community engagement, advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives. By participating in forums like the EITI-ICGLR Lusaka meeting, Oxfam promotes transparent, equitable, and gender-responsive management of critical minerals, ensuring that policy reforms translate into benefits for communities and national development.

Conclusion

The transition to a green economy presents both significant opportunities and governance challenges for mineral-rich African nations. Without transparency and accountability, the rising demand for critical minerals could exacerbate inequality, environmental degradation, and governance weaknesses. Embedding transparency and accountability at the community, national, and regional levels is essential to ensure that mineral wealth drives inclusive growth, environmental protection, and social well-being. Initiatives such as the EITI-ICGLR Lusaka Forum provided a platform to align governance frameworks, attract responsible investment, and strengthen public trust in resource management. Fostering good governance in Uganda’s extractive sector requires strong political commitment, effective institutions, active citizen participation, and capacity-building for local governments and communities to monitor resource use and demand accountability. Collaboration among government, civil society, and the private sector is crucial to promote integrity, curb corruption, and ensure equitable distribution of benefits. Ultimately, transparency and accountability must evolve from mere compliance into a culture of governance, enabling Uganda’s mineral resources to support sustainable and inclusive development.