About

Our history 2002

PWYP is founded to address the lack of transparency in the extractive industries and the corruption and mismanagement in many resource-rich countries that this causes, by our six founders – Global Witness, CAFOD, Open Society Institute, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK and Transparency International UK.
The PWYP name is chosen from a 1999 Global Witness report, “A Crude Awakening”, highlighting apparent complicity by the oil and banking industries in the plundering of state assets during Angola’s civil war. The report called on oil companies operating in Angola to “publish what you pay”.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair launches the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, following lobbying by PWYP and others on the management of government revenues from extraction. Promoting the initiative becomes a cornerstone of PWYP’s work.

The EU adopts a Transparency Directive to harmonise minimum disclosure requirements for payments made by EU-listed extractive companies.
US oil companies’ elicit payments to Equatorial Guinea, uncovered by PWYP members, are brought to light at US Congress, starting the important conversation on the need for more transparency in the sector.

Global organisations join PWYP’s call for transparency, including the World Bank in its extractive industries report.
Azerbaijan becomes the first country to publish an EITI report and win an EITI award.
Ghana produces the first EITI report on mining.
The first major PWYP pan-African capacity-building workshop takes place in Cameroon.
PWYP membership reaches 10 national coalitions.

At PWYP’s International Strategy Meeting in Oslo, members agree on a new mission statement and governance structures.

Nigeria becomes the first country in the world to adopt the EITI into law.
Responding to calls from PWYP’s Norwegian coalition, Norway becomes first OECD country to implement the EITI.
PWYP’s first major Asia-Pacific conference in Indonesia brings together civil society groups from across the region.
The EU adopts a new European Accounting Standard for oil gas and mining, following concerted lobbying by PWYP European affiliates.

PWYP’s agenda is firmly on the global stage, as a UN Resolution is passed highlighting the importance of resource transparency and the EITI.
PWYP Norway starts a capacity-building programme for PWYP members in Africa.

In an innovative move, Liberia includes timber extraction in its EITI report, winning an EITI implementing award.
Switzerland – where a third of all oil is traded virtually – becomes an EITI-supporting country.
At PWYP’s international meeting in Canada, the PWYP coalition agrees to include contract transparency in our areas of work.

Following crucial lobbying by PWYP, President Obama signs into law the Dodd-Frank Act, obliging all US-listed extractive companies to publish their payments to governments in countries where they operate.
PWYP Niger successfully pushes for the country’s new constitution to enshrine the principle of resource transparency.
PWYP membership reaches 20 national coalitions.

Zimbabwe’s government launches the country’s Mining Revenue Transparency Initiative.
PWYP’s Africa Steering Committee is established at our pan-African conference in Kinshasa, to give extra support and coordination to African national coalitions.
The EU adopts amendments to strengthen the Transparency and Accounting Directives.

The US releases implementing regulations for the Dodd-Frank Act, detailing how US-listed extractive companies must publish payments to government (this will be reversed with the arrival of a new administration in 2017).
PWYP’s 10th anniversary and the launch of our new strategy, Vision 20/20, which officially moves PWYP’s work beyond revenue transparency to include all steps along the extractive value chain.

The EU adopts an Accounting Directive, requiring all large, EU-registered companies to publish their payments to governments, and a Transparency Directive, requiring all EU-listed companies to do so.
A new Standard is agreed at the EITI International Conference in Sydney, setting global goals for open and accountable management of extractive resources.

Hosted by the Open Society Foundation since its inception, PWYP becomes an independent entity, with a decentralised Secretariat partly based in London.

Members from around the world gather for PWYP’s Global Assembly in Peru to address issues including the environmental effects of extraction and EITI impact and data use. Areas highlighted for future PWYP focus include tax justice, climate change and gender.
We launch our flagship Data Extractors Programme, a global initiative which trains participants to access, analyse and use revenue data to uncover potential corruption and expose the economic and social impacts of extraction on local communities and advocate for change.
In close collaboration with partners and members, PWYP helps secure important improvements to the EITI Standard, including the requirement that extractive companies disclose their beneficial owners by 2020.
Together with CIVICUS, we publish a report documenting the increasing threats to activists fighting for natural resource justice around the world.
PWYP has a strong presence at the London Anti-Corruption Summit, where transparency in commodities trading is a central demand.
PWYP membership reaches more than 40 national coalitions and 1000 individual members.

The number of “payments to governments” reports published by large, publicly listed extractive companies – produced in response to new mandatory disclosure laws in Canada, the EU and Norway – increases from around 100 to more than 500.
A high-profile report by PWYP Australia and testimony from PWYP members to a Senate inquiry help secure a commitment from Australia’s Labor party to introduce a mandatory disclosure law if elected.
PWYP mobilises to support members in countries facing civil society repression, including Niger, where PWYP Board member Ali Idrissa is granted early release after serving five months in jail for peacefully protesting against a new finance law.
By coordinating the civil society agenda on the international EITI Board, PWYP helps achieve project-by-project disclosure of payments by companies from 2018.
We publish the first guide to help civil society maximise its impact in the EITI.