Washington, DC — Briefing Paper: The Africa Consultation On the Role of the World Bank Group in the Extractive Industries
The Extractive Industries Review (EIR) was established by the World Bank Group, in August 2001, in response to civil society concerns regarding its involvement in the extractive industries. The EIR is an independent secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a support office in Washington D.C., whose task is to examine the role of the World Bank Group in the oil, gas and mining sectors and better understand whether such involvement is consistent with the World Bank's mission of poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Over a two-year period, the EIR will undertake consultations with stakeholders from civil society, government, industry, and the World Bank Group itself, and use the outcome of this work to formulate a set of recommendations to guide the future involvement of the World Bank Group in the oil, gas and mining sectors. These recommendations will be presented to the World Bank Group President, James D. Wolfensohn, in a final report, in September 2003.
The EIR process comprises a number of activities. five Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultations are being convened for Latin America and the Caribbean; Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Africa; Middle East and North Africa; and Asia and the Pacific . In addition, the EIR Secretariat will undertake a number of Project Visits to countries where the World Bank Group is sponsoring oil, gas and mining projects. The EIR has also commissioned focused research on pertinent topics related to the extractive industries.
To date, two regional consultations have been completed. The first, for the Latin America and Caribbean region, took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 2002. The second, for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, took place in Budapest, Hungary, in June 2002. We are currently in the process of preparing for the third EIR consultation for the Africa region, which will be held in Maputo, Mozambique, from January 13 - 17, 2003
This briefing provides relevant information for stakeholders on our forthcoming Africa consultation in January 2003.
What is the EIR Regional Consultation for Africa?
At this consultation, representatives from government, civil society, the oil, gas and mining industry, and the World Bank Group, will participate in a three-day workshop to review the past and present role of the World Bank Group in the extractive industries in the Africa region. Discussions will specifically focus on whether this involvement has positively contributed to poverty eradication and sustainable development in the region.
What is the Objective of the Consultation?
The consultation is intended as a means of exploring various stakeholder perspectives regarding World Bank Group-supported projects in the Africa Region and to evaluate whether they have contributed to poverty eradication and sustainable development. The consultation is an opportunity for all stakeholders to present their views and both areas of consensus, as well as areas of dissent, will be noted. The EIR aims to understand the situation surrounding extractive industry projects at the grassroots, and the World Bank Group's role in influencing these situations.
Who Are The Consultation Participants?
Participants for the consultation will be invited from all stakeholder groups: - 25 representatives from civil society, - 15 from governments, - 15 from industry, - 10 from the World Bank Group Furthermore, of the 25 representatives from civil society are: 10 will be representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 10 from indigenous peoples' groups, and 5 from labor organizations.
What is the Self-Selection Process for Civil Society Participants?
Civil society participants will 'self-select' themselves. This means civil society have the responsibility of nominating individuals from civil society organizations they consider best placed to represent their interests at the multi-stakeholder consultation workshop. This arrangement was requested by civil society members, and agreed upon, at the EIR planning workshop held in Brussels, Belgium, in November 2001. For the sake of organizing travel, visas, and accommodation, the EIR Secretariat needs to receive the list of names selected by January 3rd, 2003.
What is the Format of the Consultation?
The consultation will be split into two phases:
1. Testimonials and Voluntary Information Exchange by the World Bank Group: This first phase is designed to give civil society the opportunity to openly discuss their experiences of extractive industry projects in their localities. These 'testimonies' will enable the EIR to better understand the concerns of civil society, and the local impacts of oil, gas and mining projects throughout the region.
This day of 'testimonials' is scheduled for January 13, 2003, prior to the main workshop sessions. Testimony can be given in the form of video recordings, written reports and presentations by individuals. Some people may wish to remain anonymous in giving testimony. The EIR Secretariat can make provision for this.
World Bank Group staff will also present information on their projects, policies and guidelines for the oil, gas and mining sector in the Africa region. This will be followed by an open question and answer session.
2. Consultation Workshop: The second phase of the consultation will be a 'workshop' with invited participants. All participants will be encouraged to openly discuss the issues during the workshop sessions with the aim of arriving at a series of recommendations for the World Bank Group by the end of the consultation.
Representatives from the World Bank Group will provide information on their regional oil, gas and mining projects through formal presentations. Participants from other stakeholder groups will likewise have the opportunity to present their point of view with 'case studies' on various projects of concern to them.
Who will be facilitating the Consultation?
The EIR has contracted a German company, by the name of denkmodell, to facilitate the regional consultation workshops throughout the EIR process. The task of the facilitators help direct the flow of communication between all participants.
The task of the facilitators is to ensure all participants have an equal opportunity to fairly present their views during the workshop sessions. They will encourage participants to arrive at well-developed recommendations for the World Bank Group by the end of the workshop.
Simultaneous translation will also be made available throughout the entire consultation process.
Will the Consultation be recorded?
All workshop sessions will be recorded by the EIR Secretariat. This will be achieved using audio-visual, tape recordings (which will be later transcribed), and note taking, as well as the collection of all documentation provided by participants.
Participants may wish to keep their own notes of the discussions and we welcome this input from you so it can be incorporated into the workshop report.
What will be the product of the Consultation?
All proceedings of the consultation will be presented in an 'EIR Africa Consultation Workshop Report'. This will be prepared by the EIR Secretariat soon after the consultation concludes and a draft copy will be circulated amongst all participants for comment.
A fortnight will be provided to receive input from participants, and this will be incorporated into the final workshop report. All reports from our regional consultation workshops will be available on our website (www.eireview.org).
For more information on the EIR, please visit our website at www.eireview.org. You can also send a request for information to our office at the following address:
Roberta Lovatelli c/o Extractive Industries Review 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Room F8P-232 Washington, D.C., 20433 Tel.: (202) 473-6043 Fax: (202) 522-0395 or 614-1605
