Simon Taylor is a co-founder and Executive Director of Global Witness. Simon launched Global Witness’ oil and corruption campaign in 1999. This work began the global call for transparency of payments made by extractive industry companies to governments for the oil, gas and minerals that they extract– revenue streams that for many countries almost make up all government income. Exposing corruption in these sectors led to Global Witness’ conception of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Campaign, which Simon co-launched in 2002 with George Soros and other NGOs including Transparency International (UK) and Save The Children Fund UK. The launch of PWYP, which now consists of over 840 civil society organisations in more than 64 countries worldwide, led directly to the 2002 creation of the extractives industries transparency Initiative (EITI) by the UK Government. EITI is now an independent global multi-stakeholder initiative that places civil society in the central role of holding governments and companies to account for the revenue streams developed from extraction.
Simon is also working on campaigns focussed on creating accountability in the extractives sector. These include a focus on investigations and exposes of malfeasance in the oil, gas and mining sectors, which have provided the underpinning for international policy reforms, seeking transparency and detailed disclosures around the activities of the extractives sector – cited by the OECD as the most corrupt business sector on the planet – including disclosure of the beneficial owners of participating companies, contract transparency, environmental disclosures, including free prior and informed consent and environmental impact assessments. Evidence generated by investigations has also been used to initiate criminal investigation and prosecution of companies and high-level executives for grand corruption.
Simon is increasingly focusing on climate change, with a particular interest in the way in which the fossil fuel industry has corrupted and co-opted global politics to such an extent that it has been able to prevent appropriate action to address the climate crisis.
Arresting Deforestation • Clean Energy • Environmental Sustainability • Human Rights • International Justice • Livelihoods • Peace • Peace and Human Rights • Responsible Supply Chains • Standards • Sustainable Markets
Central America, Central and Southern Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa, Eastern Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South America, Southeast Asia, West and Central Africa
