Transparency Activists Gather and Offer Feedback on New Natural Resource Charter

	Delegates from the African countries of the PWYP coalition discuss regional issues.

Two hundred activists from more than 50 countries gathered this week for the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) International Conference in Montreal, Canada.

Speakers included leaders of the coalition's advisory group and civil society representatives from the governing board of the EITI. Conference panels covered a wide range of topics including Canada's extractive industry; civil society success stories; issues in EITI implementation; proposed new legislation, such as the U.S.'s Energy Security through Transparency Act of 2009; and a review of PWYP's mission, membership and priorities. The event provided a forum for dialogue between between civil society and Canadian government agencies, industry and regulators as well as a chance to reflect on progress made and challenges for the future. Discussion also focused on how to strengthen and protect civil society actors, in the wake of several incidents of government harassment against transparency campaigners from the coalition.

Canada is home to some of the world's largest mining companies, and the Montreal setting gave groups from many countries where those companies operate a chance to learn firsthand about recent Canadian measures to foster corporate social responsibility in the extractive industries.

RWI's director leads a discussion on the Natural Resource Charter.

On Tuesday November 17th, Revenue Watch Director Karin Lissakers led a consultation and panel on the Natural Resource Charter (www.naturalresourcecharter.org), a set of twelve principles for governments and societies on how to effectively harness the opportunities created by natural resources. Initially drafted by a group of independent economists, political scientists and natural resource experts, the Charter offers resource rich societies a vision and a blueprint for the management of non-renewable resources. Used well, resources such as oil, gas and minerals can increase prosperity for current and future generations; used poorly, they can cause economic instability, social conflict and lasting environmental damage. The Charter provides guidance on core government decisions about natural resources, from the decision to extract through the management of revenues.
 
Lissakers, who is one of the Charter's lead authors, moderated a discussion focusing on three of the twelve "precepts" that comprise the Charter: that extractive resources are public assets and decisions around their exploitation should be transparent and subject to informed public oversight; that resource projects may have serious environmental and social effects which must be accounted for and mitigated at all stages of the project cycle; and that all extraction companies should follow best practice in contracting, operations and payments.

Revenue Watch is asking conference participants and all interested members of civil society to please review the Charter and add feedback in order to improve the vision and final drafting of the Charter document. Citizens are indispensable partners in good governance, and we will be spearheading several Charter consultations with civil society in the coming months.

LEARN MORE

• Communiqué: Publish What You Pay International Conference, Montreal | Français (Publish What You Pay)
• Media Advisory: PWYP International Conference, Montreal, Canada | Français (Publish What You Pay)
• Drafting a Charter to Guide the World's Use of Natural Resources
  
• Website for the Natural Resource Charter
• Ernesto Zedillo Named to Lead Natural Resource Charter Oversight Board
• PWYP International Conference 2009 (Publish What You Pay)