The EITI's outgoing Chair, Fredrik Reinfeldt, launched the 2019 Progress Report today, 18 June, at the opening session of the EITI Global Conference in Paris. Commenting on the achievements of the EITI in the past year, and during his term as Chair, he highlighted the revisions made to the EITI Standard as an important milestone:
"The EITI Standard continues to evolve, shaped by the lessons learned in the countries that implement it. New ground has been broken with disclosure requirements on environmental, social and gender impacts. On the fiscal and legal side, contract transparency will be mandatory from 2021 onwards, new commodity trading data is being released and reporting is now being done at the project level."
Commenting on what has been an intensive year for the EITI International Secretariat and global network, EITI Executive Director, Mark Robinson, highlighted the advances made in transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors and the active contributions from all constituencies to consultation on the revised EITI Standard.
Looking forward to the year ahead, he highlighted the need for increased focus on peer to peer learning and sharing of best practice, as well as the need to facilitate training on the new EITI Standard and the use of open data saying:
"The contribution of improved disclosure to better governance and enhanced development outcomes is a fundamental test of the significance of our work. We are paying greater attention to how we measure and communicate the EITI’s impact around the world, from how it improves revenue management in Iraq to spending priorities that benefit local communities in Madagascar. We could not have completed such a significant body of work without the active collaboration of governments, companies and civil society groups. It is a reassuring testament to the strength of the multi-stakeholder approach that lies at the heart of EITI globally."
Learn more about the EITI Global Conference here.