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On November 16th, Professor Douglas Yates participated in a one-day conference on "Oil, Politics and Africa" organized by Chatham House (the British Royal Institute of International Affairs) and the African Studies Centre at Coventry University (UK). This conference examined current government, NGO and academic thinking on oil and gas production in Sub-Saharan Africa and how oil companies, governments and NGOs can use Africa's oil riches to enhance development and reduce poverty.

Professor Yates's presentation was part of a panel on "Resolving Governance Challenges". Yates focused on solutions to the "oil curse" that affects African and other oil-rich countries, as had been discussed by, among other specialists on the topic, former British Minister of Cooperation Claire Short, Chatham House's Nick Shaxson, Oxfam's Ian Gary, and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira from Oxford University.

"This was a particularly interesting conference because it was policy-oriented, that is it was designed to shape international governance initiatives such as the 'Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative' and 'Publish What You Pay'. The participation of two major actors of the world oil industry, Shell and Tullow Oil, ensured a lively debate. I offered five solutions: combating corruption, investing oil revenues in social development, direct distribution of oil revenues to the people, boycotting african oil, and, finally, stopping our own oil consumption. The last is the only solution that will really work."

See Conference Program

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