A growing number of parlamentarians around the globe are recognising the need for increased transparency and that legislative action can play an important role towards that end. Parlamentarians have already played an instrumental role in calling for and mandating the EITI standard in many countries.
In countries such as Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Nigeria and Yemen legislators hold seats in the the national EITI Multi-stakeholder group. It can be reasonably expected that parlamentarians will play a growing role in many EITI countries in the years to come.
At the Doha Conference, The Role of Legislators in the EITI Process will be discussed at an Executive Session moderated by Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director of Transparency International. Participants in the panel include:
- H.E. Essimi Menye Cameroon, Minister of Finances
- Nasser Al Sane, The Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), Chairman
- Shari Bryan, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Vice President
- Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyz Republic, Member of Parliament
- Ali Hussain, Ashal Yemen, Member of Parliamen
In the foreword for this Guide, Zambian MP Hon. Given Lubinda says
As legislators, we ought to insist on knowing what the extractive industries pay and what our governments receive, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) can help. EITI is a simple idea that can shed light on the income generated from oil, gas and minerals. In EITI, companies disclose the payments they make to governments, and governments reveal the income they receive. Identifying discrepancies between the two can be a powerful deterrent to corruption and a vital step toward accountability.
