Kyrgyz Republic EITI NGO Consortium Seminar

A seminar devoted to discussion of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation in Central Asia was held during June 28-29 in Royal Beach Hotel (Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan). The seminar was organized by the Human Development Centre “Tree of Life” and supported by Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan. The seminar was conducted as one of the planned arrangements to strengthen capacity of the NGO Consortium for EITI members, which is coordinated by the HDC “Tree of Life”. Representatives of government bodies involved in the EITI-Kyrgyzstan implementation, office of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic and Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan have participated in the seminar. Four non-governmental organizations members of “Oil Revenues – Under the Public Oversight!” Coalition (Kazakhstan) were presented in the seminar as well.

EITI implementation in Kyrgyzstan is important as regards to increasing government’s extractive revenues and effectiveness of natural resources management. Increasing public awareness about payments made by companies to the Government will make the Government more accountable in case of revenues received from natural resources.

In general the seminar was designed as training approach and different materials were provided to NGO representatives illustrating organizational and legislative aspects of EITI implementation in Kyrgyzstan, its correlation with International Financial Institutions’ (IFIs) activity. Representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the State Agency on Geology and Mineral Resources have familiarized the participants with governance structure for EITI in Kyrgyzstan and with basics of extractive industry licensing in the country. Seminar participants have discussed current status of EITI implementations in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and EITI-Kyrgyzstan experience since it was launched.

EITI endorsement by the Republic of Kazakhstan was welcomed by the participants and it was noted that this decision is a next step in EITI dissemination in Central Asia.

In seminar’s conclusion the following measures to increase effectiveness of the EITI implementation in Kyrgyzstan and an interaction of all EITI stakeholders. NGO representatives have developed an appeal to the Governments of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan calling “…to remove restrictions on citizens’ access to information… about revenues from extractive industry…and to establish efficient and applicable mechanisms of civil society participation in discussion and decision-making in the context of EITI…” In the appeal the IFIs are called “…to promote more actively this Initiative and to switch from voluntary basis of making companies payments to governments public to mandatory once as soon as possible”.

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NGO Consortium for EITI is informal network, which is open for cooperation with all interested parties. Human Development Centre “Tree of Life” is the Consortium contact organization: phone/fax (996-312) 280150, 287490, e-mail hdc3tol@yahoo.com

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