What’s the role of the EITI in fighting corruption?

Reflecting on EITI’s potential and actual contribution to the global anti-corruption agenda.

There is a global consensus that in many countries, extractives sector corruption can deprive the population of resources needed to reduce poverty. Resource-rich countries are increasingly taking measures to tackle corruption and resulting illicit financial flows head on through national strategies and global initiatives. The EITI has the potential to help reduce corruption by addressing risks such as hidden ownership, opaque licensing procedures and unaccountable revenue collection and management.

The prevalence of extractive sector corruption has however led the EITI to face some challenging questions: What role can the EITI realistically play in fighting corruption? Why hasn’t the EITI prevented specific extractive sector corruption cases in its implementing countries? Why hasn’t its disclosures always exposed these scandals? How can it do more?

To help inform these discussions, the EITI International Secretariat has commissioned a paper to help identify some of the EITI’s strengths and limitations in addressing extractive sector corruption, and propose ideas for how it can do more in the future. The preliminary findings of the paper were discussed in a session at the Global Conference on 18 June. Representatives from governments, civil society and extractive companies  shared their experiences with using transparency to prevent corruption.

The EITI Secretariat invites feedback and recommendations in writing on the discussion paper. In submitting comments, stakeholders may consider the following questions: What has been the contribution of the EITI in preventing corruption? Are there examples of how the EITI process in countries has exposed corrupt practices or had a preventive effect? What can the EITI do further to strengthen its contribution to the anti-corruption agenda in your country?

The deadline for comments has now passed.

Learn more about the EITI Global Conference here.