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Bill Gates today threw his weight behind laws that will require oil, gas and mining companies to be more transparent about the payments they make to governments around the world.
“I believe the G20 countries should endorse legally binding transparency requirements,” said Mr. Gates in a report on financing for development delivered at today’s G20 Summit in Cannes, France.
On Tuesday Tearfund, a Christian relief and development agency, handed in 10,000 postcards to the UK Chancellor from supporters calling for the UK Government to tackle corruption through Publish What You Pay legislation in the EU.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The international civil society coalition Publish What You Pay welcomed today’s U.S. commitment to participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to increase transparency in oil, mining and gas revenues collected from U.S.
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European Parliament backs Publish What You Pay rules; sends strong signal to the European Commission
LONDON/STRASBOURG – Publish What You Pay, the global coalition of civil society groups, welcomes the European Parliament’s endorsement on Tuesday of plans for EU laws that will require oil, gas and mining companies to be more
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WASHINGTON, D.C.— At a press briefing held today, Publish What You Pay U.S. joined with developing country activists and investors to call on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue final rules to implement a landmark law that will shed light on billions of dollars in payments from oil and mining companies to governments.
On 10 June 2011 a wide range of civil society organisations gathered in Melbourne for a PWYP information and strategy development workshop. Hosted by long time PWYP member Oxfam Australia, sessions included an introduction to PWYP, examination of national coalition case studies and a strategy brainstorm for the future of the campaign in Australia. The day closed with a real sense of momentum in the quest for greater openness in the oil and mining sector in Australia.
Currently, the campaign in Australia is developing across two very exciting fronts.
Today for the first time, the G8 endorsed mandatory disclosure of extractive industry payments to governments.
PWYP members in Europe have written to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which regulates US stock exchanges, and notified the body that the European Commission is developing counterpart legislation in Europe. The need for extractive industry transparency rules in the EU has been backed by the British and French governments which have both publicly stated their support this year following the passing in the United States of the Dodd-Frank Act.
The Publish What You Pay coalition strongly welcomes the announcement by the UK Government that it will push for the implementation of oil, gas and mining transparency laws in the EU. If introduced, such laws would require that companies listed in the EU publish what they pay to governments for the extraction of minerals around the world. This will improve revenue transparency, helping to eradicate the corruption that has blighted some mineral rich states and improve the lives of millions of people in the developing world.
I am Chairperson of Publish What You Pay Uganda and work for an organisation called Global Rights Alert. In Uganda we are striving to ensure that the recently discovered oil in our country helps us fight poverty, disease and develop economically.