Lugar Commends U.S. Leadership on Transparency
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nick McCormick
nick@thelugarcenter.org
(202) 776-1590
Lugar Commends U.S. Leadership on Transparency
Former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard G. Lugar commended approval of the United States to begin implementing more rigorous transparency measures as part of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
"At the core of our democracy is the ability of citizens to hold their government accountable. Each of us has a deep interest in ensuring that our fellow citizens have the information necessary to question their representatives and demand wise use of our nation's resources. Transparency is essential to that goal," Lugar said.
Neil Brown, a Board Member of The Lugar Center, serves on the U.S. EITI advisory board consisting of government, industry, and civil society representatives that prepared the U.S. application to EITI. That application was approved by the international secretariat of EITI in Oslo today.
"America projects strength abroad when we live the ideals we ask other nations to emulate. Adoption of rigorous transparency standards through EITI is an important demonstration of U.S. global leadership," Lugar said.
Lugar has long called for U.S. implementation of EITI, secured funding for EITI, and was a primary author of mandatory reporting (known as the "Cardin-Lugar Amendment" or Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act). In 2007, Lugar commissioned a Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff study, "The Petroleum and Poverty Paradox," on the topic that recommended that the U.S. implement EITI. In partnership with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), he introduced the Energy Security Through Transparency Act that called on the Obama Administration to implement U.S. EITI, which subsequently occurred as part of the Open Government Initiative.
