Global Witness is an environmentalist advocacy and investigative organization that conducts research and produces reports on numerous industries in the attempt to expose corruption. It is heavily funded by left-leaning nonprofits such as George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and Pierre Omidyar’s Luminate. ¹

Global Witness faced criticism for its security practices after an Afghanistan-based source was kidnapped and murdered by militants linked with Islamic State during an undercover investigation. ²

Background

Global Witness is an international organization with a staff of roughly 100. The organization has offices in Washington, D.C., London, and Brussels, and conducts activities worldwide through partnerships with other NGOs and local environmentalist groups. Global Witness conducts investigations into the resource extraction industry (diamonds, oil, gas, timber, gold) to gather research for its reports and advocacy campaigns, using methods including confidential informants and covert surveillance. The organization’s investigations into the illegal timber trade in Cambodia and conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone led to significant international responses and worldwide media attention. ³

Co-founder Patrick Alley is a trustee of Open Corporates, a global data sharing initiative for businesses and NGOs. ⁴ Co-founder Charmain Gooch is married to a partner of Gowling WLG LLP, an international law firm that Global Witness has retained for legal services. ⁵

Activities

In addition to investigative research, Global Witness operates many advocacy campaigns in partnership with other NGOs and left-leaning foundations.

Global Witness lobbies for governments and financial institutions to cut off funding to the timber industry worldwide. The organization claims that these efforts are necessary for “preventing climate breakdown” and protecting biodiversity. ⁶

Its “Digital Threats” campaign advocates for regulations on social media and other tech companies to restrict what the organization deems “racist, misogynist and divisive” content. The organization has also advocated for banning “micro-targeting” for political ads in the European Union. ⁷

Global Witness advocates against conventional energy, claiming that the extraction and use of “hydrocarbons” is a threat to the planet and humanity. The organization advocates for the transition to weather-dependent energy sources and the complete phase-out of conventional energy. ⁸

Global Witness also partnered with George Soros and several NGOs to establish the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, a database of oil, gas, and mining revenues aimed at exposing corruption through making revenue data public. ⁹ The organization also seeks to “uncover the role corporations and financial institutions are playing in undermining efforts to stop climate breakdown” by imposing global reporting standards on corporations. ¹⁰

One of the major Global Witness campaigns involves tracking the deaths of environmental activists the organization refers to as “land and environmental defenders.” Global Witness publishes an annual report on these deaths. ¹¹

Funding

Global Witness reported $11.3 million in revenue in 2019, $2.2 million of which was derived from government grants. The remainder of the organization’s revenue came from other contributions, gifts, and grants. ¹²

Global Witness has received over $17.6 million in “Economic Equity and Justice” grants from the Open Society Foundations. ¹³ The organization has also received $9.3 million in grants from Luminate, a foundation co-founded by eBay founder and billionaire philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, a major financier of left-leaning organizations. ¹⁴

The organization reported $14 million in total expenses in 2019, with the vast majority ($11.6 million) spent on program expenses. Most of the organization’s expenditures ($11.8 million) were in Europe. ¹⁵

Global Witness also reported $20,552 to fund direct political lobbying efforts in 2019 and a $181,848 severance payment to outgoing CEO Gillian Caldwell. ¹⁶ The organization reported a forgiven PPP loan of $206,090 in 2020. ¹⁷

Criticism

Global Witness faced criticism for insufficient protection of its sources after the 2017 death of an informant in Afghanistan. The informant, who had been reporting on the country’s talc-mining business, was kidnapped and murdered by militants linked to the Islamic State in Afghanistan after his identity was compromised. ¹⁸

1. “About us” Global Witness. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/about-us/.
2. Rosca, Matei. “NGO Global Witness Accused of Negligence after Murder of Afghan Informant.” POLITICO, July 16, 2021. Accessed on March 8, 2023. https://www.politico.eu/article/global-witness-accused-negligence-murder-afghanistan-informant/.
3. “25 Years of Creating Change.” Global Witness. Accessed March 3, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/about-us/25-years-creating-change/.
4. Hanley, Mollie. “Meet Our Trustees: Patrick Alley.” Meet Our Trustees: Patrick Alley, December 14, 2018. https://blog.opencorporates.com/2018/11/20/meet-our-trustees-patrick-alley/.
5. “Global Witness Annual Reports.” Global Witness. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/about-us/global-witness-annual-reports/.
6. “Climate Critical Forests: Causes and Effects of Deforestation.” Global Witness. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/.
7. “Digital Threats: Regulation of Social Media and Big Tech.” Global Witness. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/digital-threats/.
8.  “Fossil Fuels.” Global Witness. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-gas/.
9. “25 Years of Creating Change.” Global Witness. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/about-us/25-years-creating-change/.
10. “Corporate Accountability – Holding Companies to Account.” Global Witness. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/holding-corporates-account/.
11.  “Environmental Activists – Land and Environmental Defenders.” Global Witness. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/.
12. Global Witness, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2019.
13. “Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Global%2Bwitness&grant_id=OR2016-26260.
14. “Global Witness.” Luminate. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.luminategroup.com/investee/global-witness.
15. Global Witness, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2019.
16. Global Witness, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2019.
17. “Global Witness Inc. – Tracking PPP.” ProPublica. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/global-witness-inc-9132667301.
18. Rosca, Matei. “NGO Global Witness Accused of Negligence after Murder of Afghan Informant.” POLITICO, July 16, 2021. Accessed on March 8, 2023. https://www.politico.eu/article/global-witness-accused-negligence-murder-afghanistan-informant/.