The Government of Azerbaijan considers its withdrawal from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, reads the statement came from the chairman of the State Commission of Azerbaijan on EITI, the executive director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAR) Shahmar Movsumov, which was posted on EITI website in Azerbaijan’s section.
“During the creation the EITI was aimed at ensuring transparency of revenues from extractive industries. In line with this objective, Azerbaijan was publishing reports on the receipt of revenues from the extractive industry, revenue transparency has been achieved, and all relevant information was brought to the country’s citizens. This process is lead by the multinational group, which includes the Coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
But over the last few years at the level of the international board there are attempts to change the organization’s mandate. Unfortunately, this has led to the fact that EITI has moved away from its original goals, and began to resemble the organization for the protection of human rights, and more specifically, NGOs. Over recent years, all the statements regarding EITI from various international organizations, articles published in reputable media reflect the position of NGOs and were far from the issues of transparency and basic mandate of EITI”, the statement notes.
“Today Azerbaijan criticized organizations applying double standards. Conversion of EITI in one of these organizations is unacceptable,” the document says.
The statement also said that “Azerbaijan joined the EITI not to report back to the organization based outside the country. Azerbaijan is also not obliged to listen to criticism on issues not corresponding to the basic mandate of the organization. The Azerbaijani government does not intend to put up with that pressure. In view of the foregoing, the government will consider leaving the EITI, and bring their concerns to other members of the organization.
But in spite of the above, as part of EITI, or outside of the organization, Azerbaijan will continue to work to ensure the transparency of revenues from extractive industries for their citizens,” the statement says.
* Azerbaijan joined the EITI in 2003 at the initiative of the current President Ilham Aliyev and became the first country in the history, which passed the assessment process and became a full member of the EITI (on International Conference on EITI in Doha, Qatar, on 16-18 February, 2009). The country rich in oil resources has been also awarded EITI Award 2009 for achievements in field of EITI application.
