5^th October 2017, London – Transparency International UK (TI-UK) has today written to the UK Government confirming its withdrawal from the UK Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

The move, along with other civil society organisations, follows a significant breach in the EITI's rules by the UK Government in relation to the multi-stakeholder group that is an integral component of the UK EITI.

This decision breaches both the standards set by the EITI itself, and the principle that civil society should independently nominate its own representatives.

Robert Barrington, Executive Director Transparency International UK, said: 

“It is almost comically absurd that the UK Government has done precisely the kind of thing that it criticises other governments for doing, effectively allowing civil society's representation to this important body to become hijacked by an opaque government-appointed special interest group.”

“We absolutely support the idea of pluralism amongst civil society organisations and would expect that all views, backgrounds and interests are represented. It is therefore a complete shock that the reverse has now happened, leaving us with no choice but to withdraw from this important body.”

“Along with our civil society partners we have spent considerable time over a number of months trying to resolve this situation, and our move is very much a last resort. We have been delighted to be involved in the EITI until now and hope that the Government will soon see sense and end this farce. Were such a situation to happen elsewhere in the world it would be rightly be decried as a repressive attack on civil society and when states like the UK act in this way it only emboldens those cracking down on civil society elsewhere.”

Notes:

• The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative is an international standard for openness around the management of revenues from natural resources. It is designed to improve accountability and public trust for the revenues paid and received for a country’s oil, gas and mineral resources.
• Civil society is represented by 4 members on the EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group - responsible for overseeing and agreeing all decisions on implementation.
• Half of the civil society positions have been unilaterally granted to “Extractive Industries Civil Society” a single civil society group, amongst a number of other civil society organisations engaged in the initiative.
• Read the letter in full here.

Contact
Dominic Kavakeb
020 3096 7695
079 6456 0340
Dominic.kavakeb@transparency.org.uk