I joined U4 in August 2019, to lead the work on natural resources as well as illicit financial flows (IFF). I'm a lawyer specialised in IFF and natural resources, with a focus on forest governance, extractive industries, and wildlife.

Prior to joining U4, I worked for various organisations and NGOs at the national and international level, including 

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

I did my law PhD at the University of Rennes 1 in France, on corruption, tax evasion/avoidance, and money laundering within the extractive industries. It highlights how certain actors succeed in perpetuating illicit practices, notably by being creative and innovative in manipulating, circumventing or diverting instruments and measures adopted to combat illicit financial flows. 

I hold a Master degree in international business law from the University of Toulouse, France, as well as a LL.M. on international and European environmental law from University College London.

Political scientist focused on aid effectiveness, corruption, and natural resources, using political economy and political ecology approaches. Williams' PhD is from the 

Department of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London

. The thesis combined ethnographic fieldwork in Central Sulawesi and Jakarta with satellite and survey data, to produce a political ecology of REDD+ in Indonesia since 2010.

He has published in the peer-reviewed outlets: 

Annual Review of Environment and Resources

. He has co-edited two books, both with Edward Elgar Publishing, titled 

Corruption, Natural Resources and Development: From Resource Curse to Political Ecology

Corruption, Grabbing and Development: Real-World Challenges

Williams' research interests revolve around the uneven politics of natural resource-driven economic development, particularly corruption, neoliberal environmentalism, hypercapitalist growth, indigenous peoples rights, green energy transitions and inequality. Geographically, his focus is on Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Williams has served as project lead at CMI for longer-term commissioned research projects from 

, as well as shorter reviews and evaluations. He is also co-coordinator of U4's thematic portfolio on 

Corruption and Anti-Corruption Efforts in Natural Resources and Energy Sectors

Williams was previously Senior Research Coordinator at 

 in Berlin and holds an MA in International Relations from the 

Targeting Natural Resource Corruption

Globalisation has been beneficial in many ways. However, the structures that facilitate legitimate businesses and international financial transactions are also used for illicit purposes: laundering proceeds of corruption, generating illicit flows out of development countries, paying bribes or evading taxes. These mechanisms create incentives for corrupt behaviour in developing and developed countries and need solutions at local and international levels.

The Obiang case: how will France return the stolen assets?

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Illicit financial flows

Putting the IFF agenda into action at the country level – blog series

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea, addresses the UN General Assembly

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The Obiang case: how will France return the stolen assets?

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Putting the IFF agenda into action at the country level – blog series

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