The International Board of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) approved changes to the status of seven countries while meeting in Oslo, Norway, on February 26 and 27.
Gabon was delisted from EITI because the country failed to submit a validation report by the deadline of December 9, 2012. Gabon was an EITI candidate country for over five years and there have been growing concerns about that government's commitment to the initiative.
Gabon is the third country to be delisted from EITI. Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe were delisted in 2010. Sao Tome and Principe reapplied to the initiative and was readmitted as a candidate in October 2012. Gabon may reapply for admission as an EITI candidate country.
Two compliant countries, Mauritania and Yemen, were suspended for failing to submit reconciliation reports on time. (According to the 2011 EITI Rules, EITI-compliant countries were required to publish their 2010 reports by the end of 2012.) Sierra Leone was suspended because the country’s validation report indicated that certain EITI refinements remained unmet, including those regarding government reporting based on accounts audited to international standards and the disclosure of all material payments.
Tajikistan was admitted as a candidate country. The country will be required to publish an EITI report by August 26, 2014, and to submit a validation report by August 26, 2015. Although extractive revenue flows are currently limited, significant growth in the sector is anticipated. Expected mining sector reforms point towards further potential and open the door for EITI to have important policy impacts.
Burkina Faso and the Republic of the Congo were designated as compliant countries. Both countries incorporated elements in their reconciliation reports that will be part of the new EITI standard that is expected to be approved in May, such as the coverage of social payments (such as those linked to corporate social responsibility measures) in the Congo.
Erica Westenberg is RWI EITI policy officer.
