Webinar: Best practices, obstacles and future steps on contract transparency in Latin America and the Caribbean
Date: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Time: 19.00 to 21.00 CET
Overview:
Contract Transparency is a key element in strengthening confidence in the extractive activities. It enables citizens and stakeholders to monitor compliance with the terms, obligations and payments that derive from the extractive projects. It allows for comparisons across the different contracts being agreed to by a government, as well as across countries. These comparisons provide stronger evidence on the soundness of contracts and the fairness of their terms. In the end, strong contract transparency translates into better negotiations by the governments involved in those contracts.
Contract transparency is an obligation following the EITI Standard. From 1 January 2021, all implementing countries are required to disclose all contracts and licenses that are granted or amended. Currently, more than half of all the EITI implementing countries have already disclosed their contracts. Several of those, in Latin America. However, contract transparency in the region remains uneven. Efforts are needed not only in making contracts public, but in guaranteeing a better and easier access to this information.
With this context in mind, the Latin American and Caribbean team in the International Secretariat is organising a brief seminar on the best practices, challenges and goals of Contract Transparency in the region. The seminar is divided into three main sessions: a session on best practices in the region, a session on relevant examples and emblematic cases on contract transparency, and a session on challenges and goals towards contract transparency.
Agenda:
19:00-19:05 - Welcome Remarks - Francisco París. Regional Director LAC. EITI.
19:05-19:20 - Best practices in Contract Transparency. The Hydrocarbon Sector. -Efrén Castillo. General Director of Institutional Liaisons. National Hydrocarbon Commission. México
19:20-19:35 - Best practices in Contract Transparency. The Mining Sector - Miguel Ángel Díaz, Vice Minister of Mines, Dominican Republic
19:35-19:50 - Questions and Answers
19:50-20:05 - Case studies in Contract Transparency: Ecuador and Guyana - Francisco París, LAC Director
20:05-20:20 - Challenges in Contract Transparency: the Mining Sector in Mexico -Vania Montalvo. Transparencia Mexicana
20:20-20:35 - Strengthening Contract Transparency: the Mining sector in Mexico -José Jabalera, Secretaría de Economía, México
20:35-20:50 -Questions and answers
20:50-21:00 -Closing remarks -Francisco París. Regional Director LAC
