Preliminary remarks on conflicts of interest in mining

Conflicts of interest represent some of the most pressing ethical challenges not just in mining but in multiple sectors, including politics and academia. While effective strategies exist to manage conflicts of interest and prevent ethical misconduct, such conflicts often lead to corrupt practices. According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks 180 countries by perceived public sector corruption, two-thirds of countries score below the midpoint of 50 on a 0–100 scale. International initiatives like the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) encourage countries to adopt broad anti-corruption measures. Meanwhile, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) specifically supports transparency efforts within the mining sector. Recent NGO reports reveal that despite global efforts, the mining industry remains vulnerable to conflicts of interest – these vulnerabilities fuel corrupt practices that undermine social and environmental justice and violate Indigenous Peoples’ rights. By focusing on conflicts of interest as root causes that often precede phenomena like corruption, this chapter addresses an important underlying driver of ethical misconduct.