Peter Eigen

Dr Peter Eigen, Chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), will visit Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria this week to recognise and encourage the progress being made towards the EITI standard.  Like so many in the region, these countries are characterised by violence, corruption and poverty, as well as an abundance of natural resources.  This paradox is often called the resource curse.  To help address this paradox, each of the countries has committed itself to implement the EITI, which provides a framework and a standard for improving the gov

The French based company GDF SUEZ became officially an EITI Supporting Company in July 2009. It is the 42nd company to subscribe to the EITI on the international level. GDF SUEZ underlines the importance of transparency and encourages governments and companies in the extractive industry to publicly disclose payment information. GDF SUEZ is the leading buyer of natural gas and importer of LNG in Europe, and 5th electricity producer in Europe. The Group is also 2nd supplier of services to the environment in the world (water and waste treatment).

The Australian oil and gas company Santos has become an EITI Supporting Company. It is the 41st company to express its support of the EITI on the international level. In June 2009, Santos announced its support for the EITI, “endorsing its principles and criteria as a way to improve the transparency around payments and revenues in the extractives sector in developing countries”.

Last week the EITI and its partners held several meetings in Washington DC. Deputy Assistant to the US President, Michael Froman, expressed his government's strong support for the EITI and its principles, while speaking at a reception hosted by EITI Chairman Peter Eigen. Member of the EITI Board, Anthony Richter, reported from the event

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf launched Liberia's first EITI Report covering the period 1 July 2007 - 30 June 2008 on 9 February. Liberia becomes the 11th EITI reporting country and the first to include forestry in their report. In her launch statement, the President referred to the efforts to pass a LEITI Act to oblige all relevant parties to comply with EITI reporting requirements. In attendance was the whole LEITI multi-stakeholder committee, several Cabinet Ministers, and the US Ambassador.

The EITI's stakeholders are invited to the Constitution Meeting of the EITI Association. The meeting will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha, 16 February 2009 at 15:30. The purpose of the meeting is to constitute the EITI Association, a non-profit association organised under Norwegian law. [5 Feb: Documents updated] File:  Invitation to Constitution and Members' Meeting.pdf EITI Articles of Association.pdf Guidance to EITI Governance.pdf French Invitation to Constitution and Members Meeting.pdf French Articles of Association.pdf French Guidance to EITI Governance.pdf Russian Articles of Association.pdf Russian Guidance to EITI Governance.pdf Russian Invitation to Constitution and Members Meeting.pdf

The steel company ArcelorMittal has become the 40th extractive company to become an International-level EITI Supporting Company. On 22 January 2009, ArcelorMittal confirmed its support of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, after being an active participant of the EITI in Liberia since May 2007.

The Gabonese authorities arrested six civil society activists and journalists on 31 December 2008. Among the four still in detention are Marc Ona Essangui, member of the EITI Interest Group and PWYP Coordinator in Gabon, Georges Mpaga, also from PWYP, and Gregory Ngoua Mintsa of the non-governmental organisation ROLBG, who is civil plaintiff in a complaint filed in Paris on 2 December 2008, calling for an investigation into assets acquired in France by the Heads of State of Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The EITI Chairman has communicated his concern about the arrests to President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, recalling that the free and active engagement of civil society is an indispensable precondition for credible and sustainable EITI implementation.

The EITI Secretariat and the African Development Bank co-hosted a Mediterranean EITI Roundtable in Tunis 25-26 November, chaired by Peter Eigen and addressed by AFDB President, Donald Kaberuka. It provided a platform for senior government and company representatives from North African countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan) to meet with Northern partners (France, Italy, Spain, Norway).