Many countries yet to overcome validation hurdle

Twenty out of 22 countries have not met the two-year deadline they were given in 2008 to complete external verification of their progress under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a voluntary multistakeholder initiative which aims to increase transparency of natural resource revenues. Validation, as the process is known, is a critical quality assurance mechanism which underpins the credibility of the EITI. Progress in different countries varies but a large question mark now hangs over the EITI’s effectiveness as an international standard for improving transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining industries, said global civil society coalition Publish What You Pay (PWYP) today.

Additional resources:
Overview table
Short guide to EITI Validation

We, representatives of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) francophone African coalitions meeting in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) from 29 January to 2 February 2010 at the PWYP Africa Francophone Workshop on the theme of “Strengthening the PWYP campaign and advocacy for greater transparency and accountability in the management of natural resources in Francophone Africa”:

With EITI announcement, Iraqi leaders make historic investment in national and regional stability

The Revenue Watch Institute today congratulated the Government of Iraq as it joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, taking a historic step toward the efficient and open management of its oil industry.

Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki announced Iraq’s EITI participation Sunday at a formal launch event in Baghdad attended by government leaders, members of Iraqi civil society and international groups, including the Revenue Watch Institute and the World Bank.

International aid agency Oxfam America filed a shareholder resolution today with Chevron calling on the California-based oil company to adopt a comprehensive policy of publicly disclosing payments made to governments where the company operates.

The resolution, filed on International Human Rights Day, aims to promote the rights of citizens in oil-rich countries by providing them with vital information about revenues coming into their countries.

From November 16-18, one hundred and fifty activists from 50 countries convened in Montreal for a three-day conference hosted by Publish What You Pay, the global campaign for transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining industries.

Two hundred activists from over 50 countries convened in Montreal today for a three-day conference of the Publish What You Pay coalition, the global campaign for transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining industries.

The delegates represent hundreds of organizations working in resource-rich nations around the globe to ensure that citizens are able to benefit from their countries’ natural resources.

The first day of the conference will put Canada’s extractive industries under the spotlight with government, the private sector and civil society sharing experiences in promoting transparency in the extractive sector.

Publish What You Pay has congratulated all stakeholders in Liberia’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) following the country’s designation by the EITI Board as EITI ‘Compliant’ on 14 October 2009.

Liberia becomes the first African country to be validated as Compliant under the rules and principles of the EITI, a global framework for increased transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors which champions dialogue between government, civil society and the private sector.

Publish What You Pay* welcomes the recent decision of the civil society representatives sitting on the national Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)** multistakeholder group to resume their participation in the EITI process in Niger.

Oil, gas and mineral companies can reduce global instability by opening the books on their payments, say investors, industry experts, and human rights advocates

Washington, D.C.— A little more public information could make a big difference in the stability of U.S. energy supplies, say congressional and industry leaders and leading international activists who have renewed the call for a “publish what you pay” rule change at the U.S.

We are representatives of Southern African civil society organisations that are members of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP)* global coalition, which campaigns for the transparent and accountable management of oil, gas and mining revenues. We welcome the recent Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit in Kinshasa, and we congratulate the Democratic Republic of Congo on being granted chairmanship of the SADC for a year.

The SADC region has abundant mineral resources which can assist in accelerating the economic and social development and growth of the region.