ABSTRACT
Unofficial and illegal resource extraction and trade should be formalized to curb peace spoilers’ access to resources and to maximize state revenues. Although commodity- and revenue-tracking systems can be useful in this regard, tracking is only a part of the picture: it is also essential to publicly disseminate information about resource and revenue flows. Transparency can help limit opportunities for corruption, and the ability to compare the revenues that the government receives to the services it provides can increase demands for public scrutiny of expenditures.
