Africa Action ** Air Serv International ** Amnesty International ** Caring for Kaela ** EARTHWORKS ** EG Justice ** Environmental Investigation Agency ** Ethiopian Community Development Council ** Friends of the Earth U.S.A.**Genocide Intervention Network ** Global Witness ** Human Rights Watch ** International Labor Rights Forum ** Joining Hands Presbyterian Church U.S.A. ** Oxfam America ** Publish What You Pay ** Refugees International ** Revenue Watch Institute ** Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights ** Sierra Club ** Unitarian Universalist Service Committee ** World Vision
The list is growing. If your organization would like to sign on in support of H.R. 6066, please read the letter of support below and email Sarah Pray at spray@publishwhatyoupayusa.org.
Statement of Support for H.R .6066,
The Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act
As a coalition of human rights, humanitarian, environmental, and development organizations, we are calling on Congress to pass H.R. 6066, the Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act, as an effective way to combat corruption and ensure that the revenues from extractive industries contribute to poverty reduction, successful development and the realization of human rights.
Almost two-thirds of the world’s poorest people live in countries rich in natural resources. However, corruption associated with natural resource revenues in many of these countries has meant that millions of people live in poverty and are denied food, health care and an education, despite their country’s natural wealth.
A lack of transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors, which frequently leads to or facilitates corruption, has many negative impacts:
--Opaque money transfers pave the way for corrupt leaders to funnel revenues into arms and dishonest practices that contribute to conflict, social unrest and divisiveness. This can tarnish corporate reputations and lead to unstable operating environments for companies.
--Corruption and conflict associated with natural resource exploitation contributes to humanitarian situations, which U.S. taxpayers end up paying for through foreign assistance programs.
--The "resource-curse" is a well-documented phenomenon in oil-rich countries. Despite huge oil windfalls, 25 of the word's 33 oil rich countries have "low" or "medium" UNDP human development ratings. Natural resource revenues could be a tremendous engine for economic growth and poverty alleviation if revenues are accounted for and spent in a transparent manner.
--U.S. energy security may be undermined by our reliance on corrupt, impoverished regimes. Six of the top ten oil-exporting countries to the U.S. rank at the bottom third of the world's list of most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International.
This critical bill will require oil, gas and mining companies to publicly report on how much they pay to foreign governments for the extraction of natural resources. Transparent management of oil, gas and mining revenues is fundamental for successful development, poverty reduction and the realization of human rights. If citizens know how much their government is earning from the extractive industries sector, then they can demand more investment in education, health care and other social services. Public disclosure of payments to foreign governments is also in the
We urge Members of Congress to stand as global leaders to promote sound corporate responsibility and accountability in the fight against corruption and poverty by supporting H.R. 6066.
