Hans Merket

Researcher & Policy Manager IPIS

Hans Merket is a Researcher and Policy Manager at the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), an independent research NGO based in Antwerp, Belgium. His work examines how natural resource extraction shapes conflict, development, and human rights. He has carried out extensive field research in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic, focusing on artisanal and small-scale mining, relations between large-scale mining projects and nearby communities, and diverse social, political, economic, and security-related drivers of conflict. In recent years, his research has focused on how communities around large-scale mines experience company grievance mechanisms, stakeholder engagement, and the security arrangements used to guard mining concessions. He has over a decade of experience analysing global governance frameworks and corporate initiatives related to due diligence and traceability in diamond, gold, and critical minerals value chains. He holds a PhD in law from Ghent University, with doctoral research on the European Union and the security–development nexus.