ABSTRACT
The states of Sub-Saharan Africa in general and the Congo Basin region in particular, are among the world’s most resource-rich regions. However, many of these countries are a long way from attaining their development potential; and some of them are among the least developed in the world. Paradoxically, often those countries that are most richly endowed with resources are the least developed. This phenomenon is exacerbated in many African countries by inadequate governance. And yet if the state is unable to provide basic services, social and environmental standards in the extractive and processing sectors will not be enforced.
