The Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) hosted its 5th Steering Committee meeting on October 27, 2017 in Manila, Philippines. The Steering Committee is made of representatives from EGPS donor countries, which are Australia, Belgium, Canada, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. The latest member, Belgium, was welcomed by the Committee at the Manila meeting, bringing the total number of donors to nine.
The EGPS Work Program
The Steering Committee approved a pipeline of 11 projects worth $4.55 million. These grants will fund activities in the key areas of EGPS support at the global and regional levels. They will assist recipient countries in the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard and fund general extractives-related studies.
The projects are:
Africa
Chad Hydrocarbons Sector Diagnostics – will support institutional and regulatory reforms to improve oil sector effectiveness and strengthen Government’s negotiation capacity.
Nigeria EITI and Petroleum Sector – will support regulatory, contractual, and institutional reforms in the oil and gas sector.
Nigeria Petroleum Advisor -- will help develop a sound gas network code and market-based gas regulations and assist the Ministry of Petroleum Resources develop a sound flare gas commercialization program.
Zambia EITI – aims to fund feasibility study to mainstream EITI and the production of 2018-2019 EITI reports.
East Asia and Pacific
Papua New Guinea EI Accountability and Governance – aims to enhance the extractives sector’s governance by meeting the new EITI standards on social accountability and beneficiary ownership.
Europe and Central Asia
Armenia EITI – will help Government increase transparency and accountability in the mining sector.
Central Asia Caucasus Mine Legacy and Closure – aims to develop a strategy to manage environmental and social risks linked with environmental and social legacies from past and current mineral operations in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Colombia EITI – will strengthen EITI implementation and intensify and sustain transparency in the extractive industries in Colombia.
Middle East and North Africa
Iraq EITI – will enhance transparency in Iraq’s extractives sector through support of the government’s activities on the implementation of the EITI, and to explore opportunities to mainstream EITI into broader sector governance.
Global Initiatives
Mining for Climate Change – to assist with the development of an innovative strategy for mineral-rich developing countries to help them benefit from the growing demand of minerals for a low carbon future.
Operationalizing the Power of the Mine Initiative in West Africa and Pacific – to develop a framework for leveraging the mining sector’s demand and capital investments for power infrastructure to provide cost effective, clean and reliable power for both the mines and the communities around mining operations and beyond.
