ABSTRACT

The expression ‘paradox of plenty’ (Karl, 1997) is frequently used here, describing a situation where there is often no relationship between a wealth of resources and general prosperity. The ‘blood diamonds’ and coltan (a rare mineral containing niobium and tantalum used for the condensers in cell phones) from the civil war-torn regions of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have created international awareness of the need for mechanisms to promote more efficient and equitable use of geological resources.