The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) provides an international standard by which countries reconcile and publish revenues paid by extractive companies and revenues received by governments for extractive activities. The process is managed in each country by a multi-stakeholder group of government, civil society, and company representatives.
The U.S. government has been a strong supporter of EITI since its founding 10 years ago, recognizing that transparency is a critical component of sound governance in countries’ oil and other extractive sectors. ENR PDAS Bob Cekuta sits on the international EITI Board, which is the organization’s global governance structure. The EITI Board is currently undertaking extensive revisions to the EITI rules to make them more effective in ensuring transparency and accountability in the extractives sector for the citizens of countries implementing this initiative.
President Obama’s September 2011 announcement that the United States would not only support, but also implement the EITI domestically underscored the Administration’s belief that this initiative benefits countries in all regions and all levels of development. Implementing EITI is one of the commitments made by the United States in its Open Government Partnership (OGP) national action plan. OGP is an international effort to promote transparent, accountable and open governments. The State Department works closely with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), which leads this effort. For more information by DOI about USEITI, please see www.doi.gov/eiti.
