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	International support for world’s poorest nations must not waver by Cheick Sidi Diarra, Noeleen Heyzer UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries   March 2010   The progress made over the past decade in lifting the world’s most vulnerable nations out of poverty has been undermined since the global recession began, according to a senior United Nations official, who urged rich countries not to renege on their commitments to support the poorest of the poor.   “We don’t think that the prevailing crisis should be an excuse to not continue international support in favour of the least developed countries (LDCs),” Cheick Sidi Diarra, the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said in an interview with the UN News Centre.   “We want to see the international community maintain the level of commitment and the level of enthusiasm it showed when we were adopting the Brussels Programme of Action,” he added, referring to the outcome document adopted at the 2001 UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).   The 10-year plan outlines measures to be taken by both industrialized nations and the LDCs themselves to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development.   The Brussels Programme of Action includes specific commitments on good governance, enhancing the role of trade in development, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, protecting the environment, mobilizing financial resources, and speedy implementation of steps to reduce the debt burden on poor countries.   While the world’s 49 LDCs were making strides and benefiting from international support, the situation changed with the onset of the global economic and financial crisis in 2008, which led to a reduction in official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI), noted Mr. Diarra.   “We want the international community to deliver on the commitments that have been already taken.”   He stressed that strong international support is particularly crucial to help LDCs achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the eight globally-agreed targets to halve poverty and other socio-economic ills by 2015.   “The small gains that we made during the first eight years of the first decade of the millennium may be lost because of the lack of support on the part of the international community,” the High Representative said.   “The MDG agenda, and indeed the entire global development agenda, cannot succeed unless it creates decent living conditions for the 800 million people in the LDCs.”   He cited in particular the need to support African LDCs to strengthen their productive capacity in three areas – agriculture, services and manufacturing. Diversifying their economies, generating employment and tackling issues such as food security and climate change, will also go a long way in helping them achieve the MDGs.   With five years to go before the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated in a report released this week that progress has been uneven and without an accelerated action plan several Goals are likely to be missed in many countries.   Feb. 2010   Pacific island nations at UN meeting call on world to fulfil aid commitments.   Fourteen island developing nations in the Pacific Ocean wrapped up a United Nations-backed meeting with a call to the global community to honour its commitments to help them weather the fallout from global economic crises and recent natural disasters.   “External assistance, through development aid, debt relief and foreign investment, is needed to support the Pacific on its path to equitable economic growth,” UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer told the high-level forum in Port Vila, Vanuatu.   “Pacific island economies are vulnerable for a number of reasons. They are isolated, small in size, lacking in resources, subject to a high frequency of natural disasters and vulnerable to rising sea levels,” she said, noting that global economic crises and recent natural disasters had affected the islands’ halting recovery from the earlier food and fuel crises.   “In order to move forward, we must first understand the social, economic and environmental impacts these new risks and vulnerabilities have had on the region. With this knowledge we can then develop appropriate strategies for recovery and long-term plans for sustainable development.”   Strategies adopted at the meeting, organized by ESCAP and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), include a call on the international community to honour their commitments, adoption of green growth policies, strengthening of implementation mechanisms, and adequate budget allocation.   Ministers and senior officials from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu participated in the meeting.
	New law ends secrecy in oil, gas and mining industries by Oxfam International   July 2010   International mining companies, will now have to disclose all payments made to the governments of countries in which they operate, as the result of a new law passed by the US Congress yesterday.   Oxfam Australia Mining Advocacy Coordinator Serena Lillywhite said the new law would help to fight corruption, by requiring all companies registered on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to disclose their payments.   “This historic measure will increase financial transparency in the oil, gas and mining industry and help reduce the corruption, mismanagement and conflict that can be associated with natural resource extraction booms,” Ms Lilywhite said.   She said the new law would apply to not only Australian listed companies on the US SEC such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, but all international companies that were existing or potential future joint venture partners.   “This will reduce their risk of potential involvement in corrupt activity in high risk countries,” Ms Lilywhite said. “In many poor countries where mining companies operate, ordinary people do not see the benefits of mining operations. This law will help people who are often in need to share in the wealth of the resources buried under their feet.”   Oxfam wants the Australian Government to introduce similar legislation and implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global standard that promotes revenue transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors.   “If companies publish what they pay to governments, and governments disclose what they receive from companies in annual accounts, ordinary people are in a stronger position to hold both governments and companies to account. This is an essential part of ensuring people benefit from mining-related revenue,” Ms Lillywhite said.   “Australian mining companies are significant global players, with more than 300 companies active in the countries of Africa alone.   “While Australian mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have already voluntarily committed to country-by-country reporting of all payments to governments, the same cannot be said for other Australian companies.   “Mandating the disclosure of all payments by Australian mining, oil and gas companies on a country-by-country basis will demonstrate the Australian Government is serious in its approach to corporate governance. It will help Australian mining companies comply with international best practice, contribute to alleviating poverty and reduce the risks of complicity in corruption and human rights violations, particularly when doing business in high-risk countries.”   Mar 2010   With more than half of the world’s poorest people living in countries rich in natural resources, the problems associated with oil, gas, and mining booms – increased corruption, conflict, and environmental degradation – are pressing concerns for Oxfam and its partners around the world. Transparency of financial flows is an important condition needed to unlock billions of dollars in oil and mining revenues to help fight poverty.   “These industries generate billions of dollars per year in poor countries. The revenues amount to far more than official aid flows and could fund health, education, and other essential services, but are too often squandered or siphoned off by government officials,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.   “The goal of EITI is to increase accountability and transparency in those countries where it is most needed. It’s disappointing that many countries haven’t yet cleared this hurdle, and it’s clear that other complementary measures focused on company and government disclosure are urgently needed.”   A lack of transparency in the oil, gas, and mining sectors – including secret payments, contracts, and opaque government budgets – is a major contributor to the problems in these countries.   Oxfam affiliates and local partners around the world have pressed for greater disclosure of information on payments from companies to governments, contracts, and how revenues are spent.   Oxfam International has been supporting civil society partners – many part of the global Publish What You Pay coalition – in several countries who are working to ensure that their governments follow through on their commitments.   In several EITI implementing countries, civil society activists promoting revenue transparency have faced harassment, criminal charges, and jail time merely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression as part of their anti-corruption campaigning.   Unfettered and independent civil society participation at every step of the process is non-negotiable. In addition, transparency is needed in other areas to ensure that citizens receive a fair deal from the development of extractive industries. This includes disclosure of contracts and easy access to government budget and expenditure information.   While the burden of implementation is on host governments, EITI does not require international oil and mining companies to act unless host governments decide to join the initiative. Given uneven EITI progress to date, additional disclosure rules for oil, gas and mining companies are needed.   In addition to the US passage of the Energy Security through Transparency Act (ESTT), other financial jurisdictions in Europe and elsewhere should pass similar legislation.   “Faithful implementation of disclosure requirements, will create a standard for transparency and help citizens hold their governments accountable for directing revenues to essential services like health and education,” said Offenheiser.   * Below is a link to a Oxfam Fair Trade online store. Visit the related web page
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