Projects | Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment

The VCC works with governments, the private sector, and communities to formulate and implement policies and practical strategies to support a mutually beneficial sustainable investment framework.

Making Resource Contracts Publicly Accessible

The availability of contracts in accessible form to the general public equips citizens, leaders and the media with an indispensable tool for understanding the management of natural resources, and thus for building a climate of stronger accountability and trust, political stability and economic development.

Planning Millennium Villages at Mine Sites: Guinea, Tanzania, and Zambia

The VCC is collaborating with the Earth Institute and Millennium Development Goal Centers in West and East Africa to adapt the broad precepts of the Millennium Villages Project to the specific conditions of mining sites. This advisory effort will begin with parallel planning processes at two AngloGold Ashanti gold mines—Siguiri in Guinea and Geita in Tanzania—to create a framework for sustainable mining activities in Africa.

Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development

The VCC is working on promoting sustainability in extractive industry FDI, focusing on the challenges of governance and economic development.

Leveraging Paraguay's Hydropower for Sustainable Economic Development

While internationally Paraguay is known for being the largest hydropower exporter in the world, the domestic economy suffers from regular outages and high system losses. The Ministry of Finance of Paraguay has approached the VCC to advise the Government on how to leverage its hydroelectric energy to develop its economy in a sustainable manner. After meeting in Asuncion with key government institutions, civil society stakeholders and private sector companies, the VCC is assessing how the country can improve its energy sector efficiency, maximise the linkages of potential energy intensive industries and avoid the negative externalities associated with such investments.

Negotiation Support for Developing Host Countries

The VCC, together with the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA School of Governance, has initiated a process to see whether and, if so, how the availability of expert support to developing host country governments for complex negotiations could usefully be expanded globally.

Emerging Market Global Players Project

The Emerging Market Global Players (EMGP) project, a collaborative effort led by the VCC, brings together researchers on FDI from leading institutions in emerging markets to produce annual reports identifying the top multinationals from each of a number of emerging markets.

Zambezi Valley Development Study

The Lower Zambezi River basin, running through Mozambique and Malawi, is one of the world’s poorest regions, yet also one of enormous economic potential.

Supporting Governments in Relation to Fiscal and Legal Frameworks of the Extractive Industries Sector

The VCC is working with a number of governments and civil society organizations in relation to various issues relating to the regulatory regime for their extractive industries sector.

Partnership with National Investment Commission in Liberia

In July 2012, the VCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Investment Commission (NIC) of Liberia to support the NIC with various investment-related projects and analyses. Subject to the MoU, the VCC has been assisting the NIC of the Government of Liberia in its review of extractive industry and infrastructure investment proposals and will continue to do so into 2013.

Timor-Leste Advisory Project

The Government of Timor-Leste has invited the Earth Institute and the Vale Columbia Center to advise on the sustainable management and use of its oil resources, in order to achieve higher living standards and sustainable development.