The Coalition of Azerbaijan Non-Government Organizations “For Improving Transparency in Extractive Industries,” the PWYP-affiliated national coalition in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, the extractive sector, mainly oil and gas, accounts for 54% of GDP, and has provided the country with stable GDP growth in recent years. Perhaps it is no surprise then that Azerbaijan was among the pioneering countries to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Azerbaijan soon became an EITI “poster child,” producing regular EITI reconciliation reports and being granted compliant status at the EITI international conference held in Doha in February 2009. However, these successes were somewhat overshadowed by the delays it faced in fulfilling important conditions set by the EITI Board in granting Azerbaijan its compliant status. One of these conditions was the timely establishment of a multi-stakeholder group (MSG) to formalise civil society participation in Azerbaijan’s EITI process, a crucial element of the EITI framework.

Senate Should Pass Cardin Amendment to Financial Reform Bill

In the midst of an unfolding environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry is supporting secrecy and business as usual on Capitol Hill by opposing a critical amendment to the financial reform bill. The bipartisan amendment would increase financial transparency in the oil, gas, and mining industries and provide valuable information to investors in the United States and to citizens in poor countries around the world, says international humanitarian organization Oxfam America. The amendment is likely to face a floor vote this week.

The board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) today considered the status of 18 countries which were unable to meet the deadline they were given in 2008 to complete external verification of their progress under the global transparency initiative.

The EITI board rejected the option of granting a blanket extension to all countries in recognition of the need to maintain its credibility as an initiative that respects its own rules. Instead, the board granted an extension to 16 countries following a case-by-case review which teased out the specific difficulties countries have faced in meeting the deadline. Countries were granted an extension if these difficulties were judged to be exceptional and unforeseen.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) took important steps today to improve reporting and disclosure by the oil, gas and mining industries. But extractive industry experts said the proposals have been weakened by pressure from companies and have yet to clearly recommend reporting of the full information that investors and citizens need.