PUBLISH WHAT YOU PAY INTERNATIONAL – GLOBAL WITNESS – REVENUE WATCH INSTITUTE – PUBLIEZ CE QUE VOUS PAYEZ PLATEFORME FRANÇAISE

JOINT PRESS RELEASE – Monday 5 January 2009

Publish What You Pay condemns arbitrary arrest of anti-corruption campaigners in Gabon and calls for their release

Publish What You Pay (PWYP), the global civil society movement for transparency in the oil, gas and mining industries, condemns the arbitrary arrest of anti-corruption campaigners in Gabon, including PWYP Gabon Co-ordinator Marc Ona and PWYP Gabon member Georges Mpaga.

At the end of the PWYP African regional meeting, which took place at Limbe on March 2007, a regional action plan was approved by the PWYP coalitions throughout Africa.

In order to further develop, improve and implement some sections of the action plan, the members of the PWYP campaign in Africa agreed to meet in Libreville, Gabon, from 27 to 29 June 2007 after an EITI training organized by the World Bank mostly for French-speaking countries in Africa.

Africa is fast becoming a key supplier of oil to the United States. In a decade, nearly a quarter of all oil supplies will come from the region. As this report argues, despite this “oil boom” ordinary Africans will see no improvements to their lives so long as revenues continue to flow into governments lacking in transparency and accountability. This report addresses two key questions: How can Africa’s oil boom contribute to relieving poverty? What policy changes should be implemented to promote the management and allocation of oil revenues in a way that will benefit ordinary Africans?

The most important international initiative aimed at shedding light on the oil industry’s often murky finances faces a crucial test next month when several African countries may be forced to leave due to their low governance standards.

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LIBREVILLE, Jan 10 – Gabon’s interior minister has suspended 20 non-government organisations after they criticised the way in which state resources were being spent in the oil-producing central African country.

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LIBREVILLE, Jan 9, 2008 (AFP) – Gabonese Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame announced Wednesday the suspension of some 20 non-governmental organisations for having aired ‘political’ topics.

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Save The Children

Save the Children is the UK’s leading international children’s charity, working to create a better future for children. In a world where children are denied basic human rights, we champion the right of all children to a happy, healthy and secure childhood. We put the reality of children’s lives at the heart of everything we do.

The Publish What You Pay Nigeria Campaign welcomes the visit of the IMF Managing Director Mr. Rodrigo de Rato to Africa. During the trip to Africa, Mr. Rodrigo de Rato is expected to visit Nigeria, Gabon and Ugandan to meet with government and Civil Society representatives.

On April 5th 2007, Gabon published its second EITI (Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative) report concerning the 2005 data. There has been a net improvement with regards to the first report of 2004. This report is more comprehensive and this time, it includes Profit Oil of companies and equally covers the mining section. Only the distribution of this report and public debate could contribute to the full realization of the spirit of this initiative.