Established in 2005, Curtis Research is an independent consultancy established in Oxford, UK. Managed by Mark Curtis, our work is undertaken by researchers in the South and North, all offering expertise on different issues.

Our mission

Our mission is to work with NGOs to challenge and change the inequalities, poverty and unfairness of today’s world – in which the richest 5 per cent of people own 85 per cent of global wealth while nearly half the population – 2.6 billion – lives on less than $2 a day.

Our work

We distinguish ourselves from other consultancies by delivering work that is both of exceptional quality and completely independent. We do rigorous, comprehensive research. We do not work for the governments or companies that are the subject of our research.

Our work has been commissioned by over 50 organisations; we have undertaken over 250 projects to date and published over 100 reports. We have worked with partners in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia, to name some.

Our successes

Our reports are used in NGO advocacy/campaign strategies and are widely covered in the national and international media. Moreover, we have achieved notable political successes:

  • Our report for ActionAid on land grabs in Malawi – New Alliance, New Risk of Land Grabs – prompted Malawi’s president to order investigations into land being handed over to corporations.
  • Our reports for Tax Justice Network-Africa on tax revenue losses in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya – Tax Competition in East Africa – have received much political attention and have pressed the Tanzanian government, in particular, to reduce the tax incentives provided to corporations
  • Our report for a group of Tanzanian NGOs on mining in Tanzania – A Golden Opportunity? – helped push the government to change the country’s mining legislation.
  • Sierra Leone at the Crossroads – our report for Christian Aid and the National Advocacy Coalition on the Extractives – pressed the government and donors to raise mining tax rates.
  • Our report for ActionAid-South Africa – Precious Metal – inspired the South Africa Human Rights Commission to conduct an official investigation into British mining company, Anglo Platinum.