Chapters
In each chapter, we will collect and share information from various sources involved in investigations. We will publish podcasts interviewing investigators from various stakeholder groups, and we will explore what lessons learned and outcomes there were, and what accountability and remedy looked like.
Niger Delta: Oil
Mano River: Timber
Coming soon…
Mekong: Gems
We take a regional approach because power, extraction, trade, conflict, and environmental harm rarely stop at national borders. Investigations also do not unfold neatly within one country; tracing supply chains, financial flows, armed networks, corporate structures, and local realities requires following connections across regions, not just states.
Suggest a chapter
What is an independent human rights investigation?
The UN defines it as “impartial, objective, and unbiased inquiries conducted by neutral experts or organizations to examine allegations of human rights abuses. Their primary goal is to establish factual records, collect credible evidence, promote accountability, and seek justice for victims without political interference.”
The Investigations Ecosystem
Evidence rarely comes from a single investigator. It emerges from an ecosystem of communities, defenders, workers, journalists, researchers, companies, investors, regulators and public institutions, each contributing different forms of knowledge, scrutiny and evidence.
Affected communities
Often the first to observe harm and provide evidence of impacts on the ground.
Human rights defenders
Document abuses, support affected people and gather evidence.
Environmental defenders
Monitor environmental harms and their impacts on people and ecosystems.
Whistleblowers
Bring information about wrongdoing, misconduct or risks into the open.
Workers and trade unions
Provide insight into workplace conditions, labour rights and operational realities.
Journalists and investigative reporters
Investigate, verify and communicate evidence to wider audiences.
Researchers and academics
Produce evidence, analysis and long-term documentation of patterns and impacts.
Lawyers
Gather and test evidence for litigation, complaints and accountability processes.
National Human Rights Institutions and Human Rights Commissions
Receive complaints, conduct inquiries and provide independent oversight.
UN Special Rapporteurs, Fact-Finding Missions and Commissions of Inquiry
Investigate alleged violations and establish facts to support accountability efforts.
Civil society organisations
Conduct investigations, analyse evidence and connect individual cases to broader systemic issues.
Company investigators, compliance teams and human rights practitioners
Assess impacts, investigate allegations and support human rights due diligence processes.
Investors and shareholder advocates
Use evidence to assess risk, engage companies and encourage accountability.
Auditors and consultants
Review systems, assess claims and investigate incidents or concerns.
Regulators, public authorities and prosecutors
Conduct formal investigations, determine responsibilities and pursue enforcement where appropriate.
Effective investigations often depend on collaboration, verification and the ability to connect evidence from multiple sources
"The truth is not only a right, but a weapon against oppression." — Nadia Murad (Yazidi human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate)