A look back at 2011...

Although it is often true that “all times are interesting times”, 2011 really has been quite the year for Publish What You Pay. There was no way to squeeze all our highlights into these few words, but if you want a reminder of what happened this year you can always revisit our previous newsletters.

2011 has been a year of milestones, with the European Commission in October proposing rules obliging all extractive EU-listed and large non-listed companies to publish what they pay. These proposals still have to go through the legislative process before becoming official law, but we are confident that the EU will heed the call to establish strong rules for transparency in the extractive sector. We launched in 2002 with the express aim of having companies publish what they pay, this year has taken us ever closer to that goal, with both the US and the EU in the process of legislating for such rules. It shows once again that ‘the coalition is king’ and our strength is in our collectiveness and our ability to leverage our unique skill sets both in north and south.

The Kinshasa regional meeting in May marked a real turning point for the PWYP campaign in Africa. For years, different structures of governance on a regional level had been mooted. In Kinshasa, a new system was established. PWYP Africa members voted to create an African steering committee – made up of one representative and an alternate from each sub-region, as well as the African EITI board members, – to guide the campaign and oversee the implementation of the strategic plan for the continent. Only six months in, this committee has already proven a veritable tour de force, representing a new united voice through which African coalitions can express their opinions whether by inputting to the EITI’s future strategy working group or responding rapidly and firmly to crises.

The Asia-Pacific region too saw increased collaboration as PWYP participated in ASEAN workshops in April and October which drew participants from Cambodia, Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Indonesia were energetic in helping EITI take root in their country, organising outreach sessions and workshops to inform citizens and civil society on EITI. The Bantay Kita coalition in the Philippines was able to create its future strategy thanks to an August workshop.

It has been a year of growth, as 2011 welcomed four new coalitions, in Australia, Madagascar, Senegal and Zimbabwe. PWYP’s geographic scope also widened with an increased engagement in the Middle East. Our programme officer, in partnership with Revenue Watch, organised several workshops with the Iraqi and Yemeni members, aimed towards informing and training on coalition building and the EITI process. PWYP International is now seeking to hire a consultant on the MENA/Iraq region, to further deepen our ties with the region.

There has been continuation, as PWYP’s involvement in the implementation of EITI at the national levels has not faltered. This year six countries with a PWYP presence reached compliant status. In Australia, the national coalition’s work was integral to the government declaring a pilot of the initiative, and in October President Barack Obama announced that the US would be joining EITI. This move increases the global nature of EITI, thereby strengthening its credibility.

However, we would like to see more changes on the horizon for EITI. In July the EITI Secretariat announced the creation of a strategy working group on the future of the initiative. PWYP has been strongly involved in this process, with coalitions from all over the world submitting proposals for amendments to the initiative.

We would like to congratulate all of our members, all over the world. It is their hard work, dedication, energy and collective campaigning that have led to these successes.

The International Secretariat has seen some arrivals and departures this year. Our International Coordinator, Ms. Radhika Sarin, left after three and a half years at PWYP. Once again, we say thank you to Radhika for all her great work!

In August, Ms. Marinke van Riet took the helm as International Director. One of Marinke’s first missions is to guide PWYP through a strategy development process. As part of the Recognition –learn what others say phase Marinke has interviewed key external stakeholders, to find out how outsiders view our organisation and 50 of PWYP’s own members to get their inputs into the future of PWYP (Choice – learn what our members say) . The analysis of all the interviews will lead to a strategy options paper which will be further discussed and prioritised in regional workshops and potentially online. In addition a Strategy Development Advisory Committee has been formed – thank you to those who expressed an interest – which will be announced in the new year. The committee will be working with Marinke to discuss the various strategy options and its implications. All of this work will inform the latter stages of the process to be completed next summer, which brings us neatly to…

…some of our plans for 2012

If anything, 2012 looks to be an even bigger year for PWYP than 2011! In June, Publish What You Pay will turn 10! Naturally it will be a time for celebration, but also of reflection. Ten years ago we were launched by a handful of London based NGOs. Today, we number 650 members all over the globe, and in 38 countries civil society groups have banded together to form national coalitions. We’ve grown a lot over the past decade, and our anniversary will mark a time to consolidate our growth and evaluate where we are. This birthday will also coincide with the completion of our new strategy development process. So all in all there are likely to be some important decisions taken for PWYP this year and we’re excited and expectant as to what this birthday will bring.

As for how we celebrate it… for the time being we have plenty of ideas, but nothing is set in stone. If you have a suggestion on how and where we should celebrate please let Marinke know! (mvanriet@publishwhatyoupay.org)

If you feel that we’ve omitted a crucial milestone of 2011, do let us know. Email apowell@publishwhatyoupay.org and we’ll blog about it!