EITI Standard 2019

This EITI Standard consists of two chapters: chapter one, Implementation of the EITI Standard; and chapter two, Governance and management.

Chapter one, Implementation of the EITI Standard, includes:

• The EITI Principles, which were agreed by all stakeholders in 2003. These Principles lay out the general aims and commitments by all stakeholders.
• The EITI Requirements, which must be adhered to by countries implementing the EITI.
• A section on EITI Board oversight of EITI implementation, which outlines the time frames that implementing countries must adhere to and the consequences of lack of progress with meeting the EITI Requirements.
• Overview of Validation. Validation provides stakeholders with an impartial assessment of progress in EITI implementation towards meeting the requirements of the EITI Standard.
• The protocol “Participation of civil society”, which sets out requirements and expectations regarding civil society participation in EITI implementation.
• Expectations for EITI supporting companies.
• The Open data policy. 

Chapter two addresses the EITI’s Governance and management. It includes: the Articles of Association, which address how the EITI Members’ Association is governed and the EITI Openness policy, which addresses how the EITI itself should be transparent. Each constituency of the Association has agreed Constituency guidelines. It also includes the EITI Association code of conduct which establishes expectations for conduct for all EITI Board Members, their alternates, Members of the EITI Association, national and international secretariat staff and members of multi-stakeholder groups.

The EITI Principles lay out the general aims and commitments by all stakeholders.

A country intending to implement the EITI is required to undertake a number of steps before applying to become an EITI country. These steps relate to government commitment (1.1), company engagement (1.2), civil society engagement (1.3), the establishment of a multi-stakeholder group (1.4) and agreement on an EITI work plan (1.5). When the country has completed these steps and wishes to be recognised as an EITI implementing country, the government should submit an EITI Application to the EITI Board.

The EITI Requirements are minimum requirements and implementing countries are encouraged to go beyond them where stakeholders agree that this is appropriate. Stakeholders are encouraged to consult additional guidance materials on how to best ensure that the requirements are met.

This section outlines the procedures and criteria that the EITI Board uses in overseeing and validating EITI implementation. This includes the time frames established by the EITI Board for publication of EITI data and oversight of the Validation process.

Validation is an essential feature of the EITI process. It serves to assess performance and promote dialogue and learning at the country level. It also safeguards the integrity of the EITI by holding implementing countries to the same global standard. It is intended to provide all stakeholders with an impartial assessment of whether EITI implementation in a country is in line with the provisions of the EITI Standard. The Validation report, in addition, seeks to identify the impact of the EITI in the country being validated, the implementation of activities encouraged by the EITI Standard, lessons learnt in EITI implementation, as well as any concerns stakeholders have expressed and recommendations for future implementation of the EITI.

The civil society protocol sets out requirements and expectations regarding civil society participation in EITI implementation.

Supporting companies uphold the EITI Standard through reporting in EITI implementing countries where they operate. Supporting companies are also encouraged to participate in multi-stakeholder groups and to actively engage in the EITI process in implementing countries.

EITI supporting companies further support EITI implementation through their membership in the EITI Association, by meeting this set of Expectations and an annual financial contribution to the international management of the EITI.

This policy contains recommendations on open data in implementation of the EITI within the agreed scope of EITI implementation at the national level. It complements the requirements regarding open data as per Requirement 7. It builds on lessons emerging from national level implementation and emerging international best practice and encourage systematic disclosure.

The Articles of Association are an integral part of the EITI Standard. The Articles were reviewed at the Global EITI Conference in Paris 2019 and adopted by the Members' Meeting on 17 June. 

The EITI is a non-profit association organised under Norwegian law.

The documents of the EITI are public, except as otherwise provided in the EITI Openness policy.

The report of the International Advisory Group, as adopted by the Oslo Conference in October 2006, recommended that ‘Each of the constituencies should agree how they wish to be represented on the proposed Board. This requires prior consideration by each constituency of how they define those eligible (i) to be selected as representatives; and (ii) to be involved in the selection process’.

The constituencies are defined in the EITI Articles of Association, which also determine the size of the constituencies’ membership on the association and the number of seats on the EITI Board. Some of the EITI constituencies are informally sub-divided.

The EITI Board adopted the Code of Conduct in March 2014 and a revised version was approved in December 2022.

This Code of Conduct applies to all EITI Board members, their alternates, Members of the EITI Association, secretariat staff (national and international), and members of multi-stakeholder groups.