'I want to end anonymous companies'
By Natricia Duncan, Guardian Professional,
Charmian Gooch, Global Witness co-founder and director, tells us why she campaigns for transparency in company ownership
Global Witness is celebrating its 20th birthday. Why did you start the organisation?
I have had an interest in environmental issues since I was child, and I was a young, wet-behind-the-ear college graduate when I started volunteering at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). They really pioneered using undercover investigation techniques to tackle wildlife trade issues such as the illegal ivory trade and whaling.
It was an eye opener to see how natural resources were being plundered in this way and how, despite a system to prevent it, loopholes and money laundering made it impossible to properly police.
I was talking with my colleagues Patrick Alley and Simon Taylor about the need for a campaign group that focused on how environmental destruction was funding human rights abuses, and we decided to do something about it.
Our first computer came out of a bin and we had to rely on support from family and friends. But we took a camera and went undercover as a timber buyers in Cambodia and it grew from there.
What kind of campaigns do you oversee?
We investigate and campaign to prevent conflict and corruption over natural resources, and associated environmental and human rights abuses.
Through tactics such as undercover investigations and high-level lobby meetings, we fight corruption – specifically where money earned from a country's natural resources are diverted away from its rightful owners, the country's citizens.
We have campaigned around the issue of blood diamonds, looking at how they were effectively funding war and conflict. We also fight against the depleting of natural resources, illegal and industrial-scale logging, and, crucially, we have been campaigning for revenue transparency.
Last month you won the prestigious Skoll award for Social Entrepreneurship and the Ted prize, what was it like receiving those accolades?
It was an incredible honour and slightly surreal in the most fantastic way. The TED prize comes with $1m, the community's resources, and a wish. My wish is to know who controls companies.
The current system of allowing companies to be anonymous is protecting those who are really responsible for funding war and state looting and destroying the environment. The impact on the ground is devastating. It prevents countries from having education, healthcare and a government-paid police force that doesn't resort to extracting bribes on the roadside.
An example is the secretive deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) involving anonymous companies. They've deprived the people of this country, one of the poorest on the planet, of well over a billion dollars – twice the country's health and education budget.
Last year David Cameron announced that the UK government will publish the names of those who own and control British companies, how has this helped your campaign?
The UK government's leadership at the G8 on this issue was really strong and put it on the international agenda. It was a very powerful proof that this is something governments can embrace.
Now the European parliament has voted in favour of having public registries, so the momentum for progress is there. But it is early days and America and so many other countries still need to pick up this issue.
What are some of the challenges you have had to overcome as a woman in leadership?
I think I have benefited from the work of amazing campaigners who have gone before me, such as Sylvia Earle – another Ted prize winner. There are so many women who are responsible for ground-breaking work.
I also feel very lucky to have two great co-founders who accept me as an equal, and a lot of fantastic women in our organisation who are some of the most fearless investigators and campaigners. So it has not been a big issue for me.
But I know that we need more women in leadership. I remember going into situations where you are the only woman in the room and you think, hang on what's going on here?
What would you say is the organisation's greatest achievement?
I'm not sure you can ask a lifelong campaigner to pick just one. We're now at a critical inflection point in transparency and anti-corruption campaigns. After two decades of campaigning, two thirds of the value of the world's oil, gas and mining revenues are now covered by ground-breaking transparency laws. These achievements, and many others, are the result of amazing work, not just by us, but from countless organisations, individuals and brave activists who risk their lives daily for progress.
What is your vision for the organisation?
To keep making change happen. I want us to become even better investigators, even better analysts, even better campaigners. I want us to be able to uncover more, expose more. And I want us to continue to campaign tirelessly to change the system so it can no longer prop up conflict, corruption and environmental destruction.
What is the secret of your leadership?
Persistence and knowing that if someone tells you your idea is ludicrous, or laughs or sneers at you, then you're onto something. I am also a big believer that Global Witness is full of fantastic, passionate people and the best way to lead is to give them space and autonomy to do what they need to do.>>>
Charmian Gooch, Global Witness co-founder and director, tells us why she campaigns for transparency in company ownershipGlobal Witness is celebrating its 20th birthday. Why did you start the organisation?
I have had an interest in environmental issues since I was child, and I was a young, wet-behind-the-ear college graduate when I started volunteering at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). They really pioneered using undercover investigation techniques to tackle wildlife trade issues such as the illegal ivory trade and whaling.
It was an eye opener to see how natural resources were being plundered in this way and how, despite a system to prevent it, loopholes and money laundering made it impossible to properly police.
I was talking with my colleagues Patrick Alley and Simon Taylor about the need for a campaign group that focused on how environmental destruction was funding human rights abuses, and we decided to do something about it.
Our first computer came out of a bin and we had to rely on support from family and friends. But we took a camera and went undercover as a timber buyers in Cambodia and it grew from there.
What kind of campaigns do you oversee?
We investigate and campaign to prevent conflict and corruption over natural resources, and associated environmental and human rights abuses.
Through tactics such as undercover investigations and high-level lobby meetings, we fight corruption – specifically where money earned from a country's natural resources are diverted away from its rightful owners, the country's citizens.
We have campaigned around the issue of blood diamonds, looking at how they were effectively funding war and conflict. We also fight against the depleting of natural resources, illegal and industrial-scale logging, and, crucially, we have been campaigning for revenue transparency.
Last month you won the prestigious Skoll award for Social Entrepreneurship and the Ted prize, what was it like receiving those accolades?
It was an incredible honour and slightly surreal in the most fantastic way. The TED prize comes with $1m, the community's resources, and a wish. My wish is to know who controls companies.
The current system of allowing companies to be anonymous is protecting those who are really responsible for funding war and state looting and destroying the environment. The impact on the ground is devastating. It prevents countries from having education, healthcare and a government-paid police force that doesn't resort to extracting bribes on the roadside.
An example is the secretive deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) involving anonymous companies. They've deprived the people of this country, one of the poorest on the planet, of well over a billion dollars – twice the country's health and education budget.
Last year David Cameron announced that the UK government will publish the names of those who own and control British companies, how has this helped your campaign?
The UK government's leadership at the G8 on this issue was really strong and put it on the international agenda. It was a very powerful proof that this is something governments can embrace.
Now the European parliament has voted in favour of having public registries, so the momentum for progress is there. But it is early days and America and so many other countries still need to pick up this issue.
What are some of the challenges you have had to overcome as a woman in leadership?
I think I have benefited from the work of amazing campaigners who have gone before me, such as Sylvia Earle – another Ted prize winner. There are so many women who are responsible for ground-breaking work.
I also feel very lucky to have two great co-founders who accept me as an equal, and a lot of fantastic women in our organisation who are some of the most fearless investigators and campaigners. So it has not been a big issue for me.
But I know that we need more women in leadership. I remember going into situations where you are the only woman in the room and you think, hang on what's going on here?
What would you say is the organisation's greatest achievement?
I'm not sure you can ask a lifelong campaigner to pick just one. We're now at a critical inflection point in transparency and anti-corruption campaigns. After two decades of campaigning, two thirds of the value of the world's oil, gas and mining revenues are now covered by ground-breaking transparency laws. These achievements, and many others, are the result of amazing work, not just by us, but from countless organisations, individuals and brave activists who risk their lives daily for progress.
What is your vision for the organisation?
To keep making change happen. I want us to become even better investigators, even better analysts, even better campaigners. I want us to be able to uncover more, expose more. And I want us to continue to campaign tirelessly to change the system so it can no longer prop up conflict, corruption and environmental destruction.
What is the secret of your leadership?
Persistence and knowing that if someone tells you your idea is ludicrous, or laughs or sneers at you, then you're onto something. I am also a big believer that Global Witness is full of fantastic, passionate people and the best way to lead is to give them space and autonomy to do what they need to do.>>>
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