DOINews: U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Advisory Committee First Meeting

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced today that the U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) Advisory Committee will hold its first public meeting on February 13, 2013, in Washington, DC.

On December 21, 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar appointed 21 primary and 20 alternate members to the Advisory Committee that will guide and oversee implementation of USEITI. Convened under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Committee will serve as the initial USEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group and includes representatives from government agencies, companies, and public stakeholders.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a voluntary, global effort designed to increase transparency, strengthen the accountability of natural resource revenue reporting, and build public trust for the governance of these vital activities. Participating countries publicly disclose revenues received by the government for oil, gas, and mining development, while companies make corresponding disclosures regarding these same payments to the government, and both sets of data are reviewed and reconciled by a mutually agreed upon independent third party. Results are then released in a public report.

The design of each nation's EITI reporting requirements is country-specific and developed jointly by a Multi-Stakeholder Group comprised of members of the public, government, and companies through a multi-year, consensus-based process. The USEITI Advisory Committee will serve as the initial Multi-Stakeholder Group for USEITI implementation.

The meeting will be held on February 13, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, at the Department of the Interior's Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. The meeting is open to the public, but space is limited, so all interested in attending should preregister by close of business February 6, 2013. Individuals or groups requesting to make comments at the public Committee meeting will be allocated up to 3 minutes as time permits. Speakers who wish to expand their oral statements, or those who had wished to speak, but could not be accommodated during the public comment period are encouraged to submit their comments in written form after the meeting. To register, request placement on the speaker list, or submit written comments, please contact Ms. Shirley Conway by February 6 via email at Shirley.Conway@onrr.gov, by phone at (202) 513-0598 or fax (202) 513-0682.

Additional information, including the final agenda and any supporting materials, will be posted on the USEITI Advisory Committee webpage at http://www.doi.gov/eiti/

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