RAID exposes corporate wrongdoing, environmental harm and human rights abuses. We partner with those harmed to hold companies to account and pursue justice and remedy. Through rigorous investigation, advocacy and the law, we work to strengthen regulation of business and bring justice for victims of corporate abuse.
Exposing corporate wrongdoing, environmental harm and human rights abuses
What we do:
Our work pushes the boundaries of corporate accountability. As a UK-based NGO, RAID recognises that the doors to justice and remedy for the victims of corporate abuse are closed. This is especially true for communities in Africa where the power of global multinational companies and their impact on the environment is undeniable.
Based in the Global North, such multinational companies far too often infringe on the rights of local communities with little scrutiny or accountability. For those harmed, obtaining justice in local courts or in legal jurisdictions where the companies are based can seem like an impossible hurdle. We seek to change that and provide an avenue for remedy.
How we work:
Together with African-based human rights defenders and civil society groups, RAID’s team of committed and experienced professionals research corporate abuse in Africa. We trace the contours of financial and corporate webs to the jurisdictions where the companies are based.
We combine five tactics in our quest to bring remedy and justice to victims of corporate abuse:
- Extensive field investigations to expose and report on corporate abuses.
- Forensic corporate research into company operations, structures and financing.
- Presenting cases in courts and through other complaints mechanisms or regulatory channels.
- Collaborating with experienced network of law firms and legal experts to provide judicial and non-judicial remedies for victims.
- Engaging with the international efforts for stronger regulation of companies.
While testing innovative approaches to corporate accountability, sometimes we have quick wins and companies are compelled to change their behaviour following the scrutiny we bring. At other times, our casework can take years. We are proud of our success, but we also recognise where laws or regulations need strengthening. We will often try again.
What we have achieved:
Here are some of the landmark cases that make up RAID’s historical achievements:
- The first ever determination in 2008 that a British company, DAS Air, had breached the human rights and environmental provisions of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in its activities in Africa, paving the way for other such cases.
- Criminal and civil penalties against a US-based hedge fund for corrupt transactions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This resulted in a ground-breaking $412 million dollar fine and further scrutiny of the human rights and environmental impact of corruption.
- A landmark multimillion-dollar compensation decision from the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights for Congolese victims of a Canadian-Australian mining company complicit in war crimes.
To learn more about RAID, meet our team here.