COTE D'IVOIRE NAMES MEMBERS OF EXTRACTIVE

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000149

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EEB FOR ELLIOT REPKO, KERRI DIZOGLIO
TREASURY FOR D.PETERS, R.HALL
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EPET EITC ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV IBRD IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE NAMES MEMBERS OF EXTRACTIVE
INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE CIVIL SOCIETY COMMITTEE



1. (SBU) On January 29, the Ministry of Mines and Energy
named the 26 members of the Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative National Committee. The group is
government-heavy, and includes representatives from the Prime
Minister's Office; the Ministries of Economy and Finance,
Mines and Energy, Planning and Development, Interior,
Justice, Environment, and Commerce; the Supreme Court, the
national association of local governments, and the National
Assembly (the Prime Minister's representative chairs the
committee).


2. (U) For the oil and gas industry there are
representatives from CNR Energy (Canadian),Foxtrot Energy (a
consortium of the French company Bouygues and the Ivoirian
state oil company PETROCI),the Society of Mines and Ity and
the Society for the Development of Mines of Cote d'Ivoire.
Civil society has representatives from three labor unions, a
national political humor weekly, the local branch of Publish
What You Pay and the Coalition for Anti-Corruption and
Transparency in Cote d'Ivoire.


3. (SBU) Econoff met with Michel Yoboue the representative
of the local Publish What You Pay branch. Yoboue reported
the National Committee has met twice, and has only begun to
get organized. It is concentrating on formulating a national
plan of action (which is currently under review by the EITI
staff in Oslo) and adopting a budget. 90 percent of the
budget is paid by the government, and 10 percent by the World
Bank. Yoboue asked for USG and international assistance in
requiring the petroleum industries, government agencies and
other actors to provide copies of contracts, production
figures and other documentation that would help in expanding
transparency. Yoboue also asked for USG assistance with
training in public financing, contracts and auditing. The
Ivoirian branch of Publish What You Pay is actually a
consortium of four separate groups, all of whom have links
with known USG partners. These partners include the World
Bank, Revenue Watch, Global Witness, AfriCanada and local
human rights groups MIDH, LIDHO and the Association of Women
Jurists.


4. (SBU) Comment. The nomination of the national committee
is yet another milestone in Cote d'Ivoire's adherence to the
conditions to become members of the EITI. Post notes the
lack of any women on the board, as well as the
government-heavy structure. However, the ministerial mix
includes those controlled by opposition parties and at least
one NGO with the ability to engage substantively with the
bigger, more sophisticated players on the Committee. It is
too early to judge how successful the Committee will be in
achieving the EITI's stated objectives. Embassy Abidjan will

follow closely the operation of this organization and look
for ways to engage with like-minded members of the Committee.
End Comment.
NESBITT