US

US Senate Committee approves Act that urges US to implement EITI

On 27 April the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which included policy language on extractive industry transparency. The relevant text of the Act stating the Sense of Congress relating to transparency for extractive industries is pasted below. The bill will now be referred to the Senate floor for consideration. SEC. 408. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO TRANSPARENCY FOR EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES. It is the sense of Congress that—

US lawmakers name EITI as model for addressing resource revenue challenges

The US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (US Helsinki Commission) said 22 April that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a model for addressing the challenges seen when governments receive a windfall of revenue from their resources but fail to pass that benefit to their citizens. At the Commission’s hearing 22 April the link between revenue transparency and human rights was explored. File:  Jonas Moberg EITI - CSCE Testimony.pdf

US Senators preparing bill to improve transparency of resource revenues

At the 1st session of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) stated that he is preparing to introduce legislation to include US implementation of the EITI with bipartisan co-sponsors, including Senator Cardin (D-MD). Robert Hormats, the nominee for Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, called the EITI “one of the very, very innovative and very important developments that's taken place over the last several years”.

Liberia is making progress in fighting corruption, US Secretary of State says

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on her visit to Liberia that President Sirleaf's administration is taking action to increase transparency with a strong Anti-Corruption Commission at the center of efforts to rebuild from years of civil war.

US Senator Lugar: "More can be done to prevent abuses from oil wealth"

The United States and the international community must do more to prevent mismanagement and corruption in developing countries newly enriched by oil export revenues, according to a new Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff report.