22 Jun The Multi Stakeholder Group meeting on the discussion of Terms of Reference for EITI’s main activities, as well as the Annual Progress Report
Within the progress of the EITI priority activities in Albania, members of the Multi Stakeholder Group (MSG) and the National EITI Secretariat, in June 21, 2018, at the premises of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy organized a meeting on discussion and approval of the Terms of Reference for the Independent Administrator, who would prepare the official 2017 EITI Report; Terms of Reference for EITI Communication and Promotion Activities, as well as the approval of the 2017 EITI Progress Report.
The approval of the Terms of Reference for the selection of the Independent Administrator is one of the current MSG priorities.
The Terms of Reference draft has been discussed in all of its phases and includes the comments and suggestions made by members of the MSG, as well as by the civil society and business representatives.
The novelty that the National EITI Secretariat has proposed and supported consists in the fact that for the first time is required the participation of mines and hydrocarbons staff with technical sectorial capacity as part of the working group of the Independent Administrator.
Also, the National EITI Secretariat has included in the Terms of Reference for the Independent Administrator new elements such as: Monitoring the Safety at Work and Life of Employees in the Mining and Oil Sector; Emphasizing the revenues benefits from mining activities for the local governments and communities as well as the environmental and social impact from these activities; the Engagement of the Independent Administrator for organization of informative workshops on the Annual EITI Report materials.
It is noted that starting from 2013, the International EITI Secretariat requires each EITI member countries to publish the Annual Progress Report of Activities within 1 July of each subsequent year.
The main purpose of the Annual Progress Report of EITI Activities publication is to reflect the one-year work of the Secretariat and MSG and serve as a reference Report in pursuit of the objectives set for increased transparency in the extractive industry sector in the country and as well as an element for measuring the performance of the national EITI activity.
This Progress Report after drafting by the National Secretariat was finalized and approved unanimously by members of the three constituent groups (Government-Business-Civil Society) of the EITI Initiative.
The engagement of many stakeholders makes the EITI Initiative fundamentally complex, interactive and including the integration of EITI Communication / Promotion processes and activities, which should respond to the challenges of growing demands.
The National Secretariat drafted a Communication Package for 2018-2019, based on the World Bank’s plan and funding.
During the meeting MSG members discussed the detailed points of this Communication Plan, in order to optimize communication activities with the media and the public, and specifically the achievement of local extractive industries communities through more interactive communication.