Guyana to come to validate EITI on July 1
Kaieteur News – Following his admission to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in October 2017 as a candidate member, Guyana is expected to go through its first Verification exercise on July 1. This was confirmed yesterday with the Head of GY-EITI, Dr. Rudy Jadoopat.
Head of GYEITI, Dr. Rudy Jadoopat.
According to the international body that promotes good governance in the oil, gas and mineral sectors, the Validation process is an essential feature that provides all stakeholders with an impartial assessment of how the country is implementing the EITI Standards. The assessment looks at all the work done by the operating country, which includes EITI reports, work plans, progress reports, stakeholder commitments, and efforts dedicated to transparency.
Prior to the start of Validation, it is expected that a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), a body made up of industry representatives, government agencies and civil society, will oversee the collation of data and documentation showing evidence of address all EITI Requirements. within the component (s) being assessed, using Board-approved templates.
This work can be undertaken with the support of, for example, the national secretariat, consultant or independent administrator. The International Secretariat’s country team also provides leadership. This support may include a mission to the country prior to Validation, which a member of the Validation team can join to consult stakeholders and provide information on the Validation process.
EITI has made clear however that the onus is on country action to show progress and provide evidence that it has followed its Standards for good governance. In addition, the global watchdog stated that the national secretariat should collate the documentation and other sources of attachment using the Board-approved templates provided by the International Secretariat. In the second and subsequent Validations, the MSG is encouraged to focus on demonstrating progress in addressing the corrective action.
Prior to Validation, the International Secretariat launches a call for views on stakeholder engagement in the EITI. This exercise is being conducted publicly and shared with the MSG and other relevant stakeholders. The Validation Committee may also employ an external expert to provide input on any aspect of the EITI Standard on selected Validations.
Following this, the International Secretariat Validation team reviews the information submitted by the MSG, as well as responses to the call for views on stakeholder engagement. The Validation team then offers a preliminary assessment of each EITI Requirement, as well as the effectiveness and sustainability indicators, following the Validation Guide. The Validation team then proposes corrective action for requirements where gaps are identified or where evidence is insufficient to demonstrate that the requirement has been fully met. If the Validation team is aware of a relevant publicly available source that addresses the gaps, it will highlight this in the draft assessment. His report is also being considered by the EITI Board.