National worskshop for the ownership of the recommendations of the validation report of ITIE-Congo office- The participants recommend the creation of space for dialogue between the civil society and the government
22 Jun, 2018
The workshop for ownership of the recommendations of the validation report initiative for transparency in extractive industries(ITIE)-Congo took place on Friday, June 22, 2018 in Brazzaville. The participants recommended , among other things, the creation of space for dialogue between civil society organizations and the government.
At the workshop which took place under the chairmanship of the delegated Minister to the Minister of Home Affairs, Decentralization and Territorial Administration, honourable Charles Ngafouomo, and was also attended by the chairman of the executive committee of ITIE- Congo office, Florent Michel Okoko. The participants also recommended the capacity building of the administrative staff of the localities across the country on the role of civil society organizations missions, and the withdrawal of the bill on associations, so as to get the civil society involved in the consideration of the bill.
The recommendations have been adopted following debates on the following themes : requirements of ITIE standard and the results of the assessment for its implementation in Congo and the role of the civil society. These two themes led tothe following four subtheme: challenges and perspectives of ITIE-Congo office; outcome of the assessment of the implementation of the requirements of ITIE - recommendations and corrective measures to be taken; civil society : concept, role in the ITIE process and follow up of public policies; the civil society protocol : implementation and constraints.
At the end of the debates, the participants noted that some requirements have being implemented with difficulty (requirements 2.2 and 2.6) for them being taken into account in future reports. Yet, as regard requirements 4.3 and 2.6, the participants requested that they should be taken into account by the government. The requirements have also been integrated in the terms of reference of future ITIE reports for the years 2016 and 2017, pending the approval of the World Bank.
As regard the recommendation on the protocol for the involvement of the civil society, the workshop noted that the organizations working within the framework of ITIE have a working, freedom and free speech forum, contrary to non-member organizations of the multipartite group, though they are working on governance.
The workshop took place on the eve of the international board of directors of ITIE, scheduled from 28-29 June, 2018 and during which a decision will be taken on Congo's membership.
