Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global standard and multi-stakeholder organisation established to promote transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Founded in 2003, the initiative seeks to ensure that revenues from natural resource extraction are managed in a way that benefits citizens of resource-rich countries and supports sustainable development. The EITI operates through a voluntary framework in which implementing countries commit to disclosing information about their extractive industries, including payments made by companies to governments, production data and licensing arrangements. The standard requires collaboration among governments, extractive companies and civil society organisations to verify and publish comprehensive reports on the sector. More than 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East have implemented the EITI standard, with each country establishing a multi-stakeholder group to oversee the process. The initiative is governed by an international board comprising representatives from governments, companies and civil society, and is supported by a secretariat based in Oslo, Norway. By making extractive sector data publicly available, the EITI aims to reduce corruption, improve governance, enable informed public debate and strengthen trust between citizens and their governments. The initiative has evolved since its founding to encompass broader issues including beneficial ownership transparency, contract disclosure and the role of state-owned enterprises in the extractive sector.