Minerals and Conflict: A Toolkit for Programming

This toolkit for development agency practitioners on the management of mineral wealth and its links to conflict is part of a series commissioned by USAID from leading environment and security practitioners, exploring how development assistance can address key natural resource-related risk factors. Other papers in this series focus on land use conflicts, on water and on timber. The minerals toolkit paper: 1) examines the relationship between valuable minerals, such as diamonds or coltan, and violence; 2) discusses lessons learned in aid programs to deal with ‘conflict commodities'; 3) presents a range of program options; 4) provides a survey instrument that identifies key questions related to minerals and conflict; and 5) identifies relevant USAID mechanisms and implementing partners.