EITI UPDATE FOR CANDIDATE COUNTRIES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 028858 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EMIN ENRG EPET PGOV PREL SUBJECT: EITI UPDATE FOR CANDIDATE COUNTRIES REF: DOHA 150 (U) 1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 8. (U) 2. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and natural resource revenue transparency are an important part of the USG's anti-corruption and international energy security strategies. EITI is now being implemented in 26 countries and several more are considering becoming candidate countries. EITI,s expansion is a sign of its appeal; however, fully implementing EITI requires commitment to a two-year multi-step process to improve transparency and governance. The final step in EITI implementation is to pass an independent "validation" and then become an EITI compliant county. As most candidate countries are now entering the second year of the EITI process, the Department provides this assessment of progress to date. While some countries have made considerable headway, others will need to considerably increase their efforts to be able to pass a validation and become compliant. (U) 3. To become EITI candidates, countries must complete the first four of eighteen progress indicators: 1) a public commitment by the government to implement EITI; 2) commitment by the government to work with civil society and the private sector; 3) the appointment of a lead government official to work with the EITI multi-stakeholder group; 4) publishing a fully costed implementation work plan with a realistic timeline and assessment of capacity constraints. Countries are encouraged to reach out to the EITI Secretariat and World Bank to address self-identified capacity issues. Once countries become candidates, they have two years to execute their work plan and complete a validation. Validation, the final step in the implementation process, is a key feature of EITI. Validation is not simply an accounting exercise, it is an independent review of the success that countries have in integrating all stakeholders into the EITI process and executing their work plan. (SBU) 4. On March 10, 2008, the EITI Board established a two-year deadline for the first twenty-two EITI candidate countries to complete validation. We are now halfway through the time allotted. Some countries have made good progress and appear well placed to meet this deadline. In February, Azerbaijan became the first EITI country to undertake and pass a validation, making it the first compliant country. Liberia, Nigeria, and Ghana have made substantial progress and are starting the validation process. Kazakhstan, Timor-Leste, and Mongolia are also making progress. STATE 00028858 002 OF 004 (SBU) 5. In a number of countries, however, progress has been slow and the expectation is that these governments will need significantly greater commitment and effort to have a chance to start or pass a validation before their two year deadline. The EITI Secretariat is particularly concerned about the progress in Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Yemen. A list of candidate countries and validation deadlines appears as background in paragraph 10. A full report on implementation progress can be found on the EITI website: http://www.eitransparency.org. (SBU) 6. Each country faces unique circumstances in implementing EITI, but the Secretariat finds that political will to work with civil society groups is the key element in making progress, more so than capacity to undertake a financial audit. This is particularly important to successfully pass an independent validation, the final step to becoming a compliant country. (SBU) 7. EITI sets objective standards for validation that apply to all countries. To ensure integrity of the EITI process, countries that have not completed a validation within two years will not be considered active participants in EITI. For EITI to be successful, implementing countries must take ownership of the process and seek help from the EITI Secretariat and World Bank in resolving implementation or capacity issues. The World Bank through its EITI Multi-Donor Trust Fund provides technical assistance to implementing countries. (SBU) 8. ACTION REQUEST: We encourage those countries where significant progress is being made to undertake validation as soon as possible. For countries where progress has been slow or is stalled, we ask Posts to remind host governments of the approaching deadline and the importance of working with the multi-stakeholder group, particularly civil society, and completing validation. Talking points are included in paragraph 10. (U) 9. Posts can draw from the following talking points in their discussions. Please contact EEB/ESC/IEC/ENR David Henry with any questions. An excellent resource for information on EITI, the process, rules, and country progress assessment is the EITI website http//:www.eitransparency.org. Many of the materials on this site are available in multiple languages. Additional background on EITI is included in paragraph 11. The Department appreciates Posts' continued engagement on this important issue. (U) 10. Talking Points for Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Mongolia, Niger, Peru, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, and Yemen: STATE 00028858 003 OF 004 * We want to acknowledge (government)'s status as an EITI candidate country. EITI is becoming a global standard for revenue transparency in the extractive sector and is being implemented by 26 countries with many more considering adopting the initiative. * The March 9, 2010 deadline for your completing an EITI validation is less than one year away. We urge your government to work to meet this deadline. We encourage you to reach out to the EITI Secretariat and the World Bank to help resolve process or capacity issues that may be impeding progress toward validation. PARAGRAPH TWO FOR COTE D'IVOIRE ONLY -- The May 11, 2010 deadline for your completing an EITI validation is fourteen months away. We urge your government to work to meet this deadline. We encourage you to reach out to the EITI Secretariat and the World Bank to help resolve process or capacity issues that may be impeding progress toward validation. * We share your goals of encouraging transparency and making best use of resources to promote development. Your becoming an EITI compliant country would be a significant step toward attaining that goal. (U) 11. Background Information on EITI The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) aims to improve fiscal transparency through public disclosure and verification of oil, gas, and mining company payments to governments and governments' reported revenues from extractive companies. When governance is weak, these revenues are poorly accounted for and often lead to corruption and conflict -- the so-called resource curse. EITI aims to improve transparency and accountability in resource rich developing countries. EITI is a voluntary multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together government, industry, and civil society to report and verify extractive industry revenues in the countries where they are produced. The primary beneficiaries of EITI are the governments and citizens of resource rich developing countries. Knowing how much revenue governments receive, and how much companies pay, is critical first step to hold decision-makers accountable for the use of those revenues. Resource rich countries implementing EITI can benefit from an improved investment climate by providing a clear signal to investors and international financial institutions that the government is committed to strengthening transparency and STATE 00028858 004 OF 004 accountability. Civil society benefits from increased information in the public domain about revenues that governments manage on behalf of citizens, thereby increasing accountability. Extractive industry firms operating in EITI countries can help mitigate investment risk by supporting EITI. Many international extractive firms also view EITI a complement to their Corporate Social Responsibility programs. There are 26 EITI implementing countries. Countries have two years from the time they become candidate countries to complete a validation. The first 22 candidate countries have until March 2010 to complete a validation. The table below shows progress toward validation for EITI implementing countries. COUNTRY VALIDATION DEADLINE STATUS Azerbaijan March 9 2010 Complete Cameroon March 9 2010 Not Started Gabon March 9 2010 Not Started Ghana March 9 2010 Started Guinea March 9 2010 Not Started Kazakhstan March 9 2010 Not Started Kyrgyzstan March 9 2010 Not Started Liberia March 9 2010 Started Mali March 9 2010 Not Started Mauritania March 9 2010 Not Started Mongolia March 9 2010 Not Started Niger March 9 2010 Not Started Nigeria March 9 2010 Started Peru March 9 2010 Not Started Yemen March 9 2010 Not Started Congo March 9 2010 Not Started DR Congo March 9 2010 Not Started Eq. Guinea March 9 2010 Not Started Madagascar March 9 2010 Not Started Sao Tome/Prin. March 9 2010 Not Started Sierra Leone March 9 2010 Not Started Timor-Leste March 9 2010 Not Started Cote d'Ivoire May 11 2010 Not Started Cent. Af. Rep. November 20 2010 Not Started Norway February 10 2011 Not Started Tanzania February 16 2011 Not Started CLINTON