{"id":4189,"date":"2019-11-01T17:23:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T13:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eiti.org.ua\/?p=4189"},"modified":"2019-11-01T17:23:19","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T13:23:19","slug":"three-takeaways-from-addis-ababa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eiti.org.ua\/en\/2019\/11\/three-takeaways-from-addis-ababa\/","title":{"rendered":"Three takeaways from Addis Ababa"},"content":{"rendered":"

The EITI Board gathered to assess country progress, discuss the EITI\u2019s role in addressing corruption and deepen cross-organisational collaboration.<\/em><\/p>\n

Less than a week after the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize was\u00a0awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali<\/a>, Addis Ababa was a fitting backdrop for the 45th<\/sup>\u00a0EITI Board meeting, hosted by the Government of Ethiopia. With the extractive industries being one of Ethiopia\u2019s \u201cbig four\u201d focus areas for economic growth, the EITI\u2019s mandate is particularly relevant in the country. EITI Chair\u00a0Helen Clark met with Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde<\/a>\u00a0in the sidelines of the meeting to discuss how EITI implementation can support sustainable development, including in some of the most challenging contexts.<\/p>\n

As the first full Board meeting of the new\u00a0EITI Board<\/a>, the two-day agenda ranged from workplans and outreach strategy to Validation and anti-corruption. Here are some of the main takeaways:<\/p>\n

1. EITI implementing countries are making headway<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>,\u00a0Iraq<\/a>,\u00a0Mozambique<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Myanmar<\/a>\u00a0were found to have made \u201cmeaningful progress\u201d in implementing the EITI Standard.\u00a0Having undergone second Validations, Iraq and Mozambique\u2019s results showcase what the process aims to achieve: a positive direction of travel towards greater transparency in the management of the upstream extractive industry activities. Iraq\u2019s suspension has been lifted, and Mozambique improved its government engagement and license transparency. But gaps remain in all four countries, as outlined in the\u00a0Validation decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How EITI implementing countries fare in subsequent rounds of Validation plays into a broader question on the\u00a0effectiveness of the Validation process in assessing and promoting transparency<\/a>, which will be the subject of an EITI Board review in the coming months. The Board will also consider how to better support countries in strengthening their capacity for more meaningful EITI implementation.<\/p>\n

2. The EITI should clarify its role in addressing corruption<\/h3>\n

While the EITI shines a light on country-level practices in the extractive sector that are at high risk of corruption, more can be done to address it, as outlined in a discussion paper by independent expert Alexandra Gillies,\u00a0The EITI’s Role in Addressing Corruption<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The EITI Board discussed the findings and recommendations, acknowledging the EITI\u2019s strengths and limitations. Next steps will include considering how the EITI can more clearly articulate its role in addressing corruption,\u00a0sharing disclosure practices on supply and service contracting, and providing\u00a0practical guidance on how EITI reporting can inform anti-corruption work.<\/p>\n

3. EITI and Supreme Audit Institutions<\/h3>\n

In\u00a0countries that rely on revenues from extractives, SAIs play an important role in the oversight of public expenditure and auditing government financial information.<\/p>\n

It is no surprise then that EITI and SAIs have engaged extensively in the past. In a special two-day workshop,\u00a0EITI and SAI representatives from Eastern and Southern Africa explored opportunities to deepen their collaboration<\/a>, such as drawing on EITI data and analysis, leveraging work planning and risk assessments, and raising public awareness and support.\u00a0Efforts to systematically disclose data are also prompting EITI implementing countries to strengthen their engagement with SAIs, to help reduce the cost of EITI implementation and improve data timeliness and reliability.<\/p>\n

For more news from the 45th<\/sup>\u00a0EITI Board meeting, read our\u00a0online newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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