The 4th EITI Global Conference ended on a high note with a large number of new endorsements and commitments. During the final session of the EITI conference all stakeholders were invited to address the assembly. A number of EITI candidate countries re-affirmed their commitment to implementing the EITI. H.E. Samir Sharifov, Minister of Finance Azerbaijan,the first EITI Compliant country, stated that "we are ready to share our experiences and expertise with other countries."
Expanding support
Ministers from the governments of Mozambique, Ethiopia and Albania all officially declared their commitment to become EITI implementing countries and outlined the steps they are undertaking to achieve EITI Candidate Country status. The EITI welcomes the inclusion of new countries to the initiative and looks forward to working with these countries as their efforts progress.
Japan announced that it will become an EITI Supporting Country. Japan will seek to "assist in expanding the initiative's presence in the Asia-Pacific region". As a result, all members of the G7 group of industrialised countries now support the EITI. The UK also stated it will "remain vigorously committed to the EITI" and continue to support the EITI in implementing countries and at the international level.
International civil society also made strong statements in support of the EITI and the importance of the initiative in promoting the safety and security of activists in politically challenging environments.
While presiding over the closing plenary session, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy and Industry Affairs, H.E. Dr Mohammed Saleh Al-Sada, reiterated Qatar's strong support for the EITI and announced that Qatar Petroleum will become an EITI Supporting company. The support from Qatar is seen as an important element of expanding implementation in the energy-rich Middle East region. The Arab League also welcomed the initiative and expressed its support for the principles of the EITI.
These expressions of support for the EITI underline the strength of the initiative's multi-stakeholder approach in ensuring that the wealth generated by the extractives industry is managed transparently. The EITI would like to thank all stakeholders for their participation during the global conference and playing a fundamental role in improving and expanding the implementation of the EITI around the world.
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