Civil Society Calls on Gabon to Lift Travel Ban on Transparency Campaigner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Radhika Sarin, +44 (0) 7917 885 302, rsarin@publishwhatyoupay.org
NEW YORK and LONDON—The Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) and Publish What You Pay (PWYP) deeply regret Gabon's decision to bar campaigner Marc Ona from leaving the national territory. Marc Ona was detained on the tarmac of Libreville airport on Thursday, June 6, while en route to an international meeting on revenue transparency in New York. A Gabonese national, Mr. Ona is the Coordinator of PWYP Gabon and a member of the multi-stakeholder committee implementing Gabon's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an acclaimed global initiative for disclosure of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining.
Mr. Ona, who had been granted a US visa to attend the New York event, was prevented by police from boarding the airplane after he had already cleared security and passport control. There is no legal basis or justification for this travel ban nor has Mr. Ona been notified in writing by the authorities.
Gabon is a member of the EITI International Board, a celebrated global initiative for disclosure of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining. Civil society participation in the oversight of these public revenues is a key component of the multi-stakeholder nature of the EITI, and harassment of NGOs active in the process is contrary to Gabon's obligations under the initiative.
"The international community and supporters of EITI should make clear to the Gabonese government that it must respect the rights of civil society campaigners to engage in a constructive dialogue on issues of public interest," said Marc Ona.
"Marc Ona was invited by Revenue Watch as part of its training activities to reinforce civil society capacity to successfully participate in the EITI. The unjustified detention and travel ban pose serious questions on Gabon's commitment to the EITI, given that free and independent civil society participation is an absolute pre-condition to becoming an EITI candidate and compliant country," stated RWI Director Karin Lissakers in New York today.
The travel ban is one in a series of recent intimidations facing transparency campaigners. In January, the Gabonese government temporarily suspended the activities of the PWYP Gabon coalition. The decision was reversed following international outrage at the suspension, which was in flagrant violation of the right of free speech and expression. Individuals like Ona continue to face pressure and intimidations. Recently Ona's office was burglarized and police reports revealed that campaign files and computer hard disks were taken.
"It is simply unacceptable that today, despite increasing government commitments to EITI, transparency campaigners still face harassment, imprisonment and life threats," commented PWYP International Coordinator Radhika Sarin. "Civil society activists should receive adequate protection and be able to operate freely worldwide. This is integral to maintaining credibility of the EITI international brand."
"As a member of the EITI governing body, Gabon should show strong leadership in ensuring full and unrestricted participation of African civil society members in debates around revenue transparency," said Carlos Monge, Director of Grupo Propuesta Ciudadana in Peru and a member of the EITI International Board.
PWYP and RWI call on the Gabonese authorities to allow Marc Ona to travel freely and allow civil society to undertake their activities without fear of interference, intimidation or harassment.
PWYP and RWI urge all stakeholders of the EITI, including supporting and implementing countries, companies and international institutions to remind Gabon of its commitment to the EITI principles.
CONTACTS:
Radhika Sarin (London), +44(0)7917 885 302 (m), rsarin@publishwhatyoupay.org
For French-speaking media:
Marc Ona (Libreville), +241 0729 4140, marc.ona@brainforest.orgMichel Roy (Paris), +33(0)60 79 934 60, michel-roy@secours-catholique.asso.fr
RELATED
- NGO Has Eye on Belinga Mining Project (Gaboneco, en Français)
U.S. Said to Allow Drilling Without Needed Permits - The New York Times
Australia Gas Deal Renews Tension - Financial Times
Charged With Fraud, Nigeria's Ruling Party Leader Resigns - Reuters
Western Senators Propose Ban on Pacific Drilling - The New York Times
To Limit Corruption around Mining in Africa, Follow the Money - The Globe and Mail
Court Backs Oil Project - The New York Times
Transparency Increases, But There Is Still a Long Way to Go - The Phnom Penh Post
IMF Develops Project to Help Africa Deal with Illicit Trade - African Manager
Three-day Conference on Africa's Natural Resources Starts in Tanzania - Standard Times Press
After Oil Rig Blast, BP Refused to Share Underwater Spill Footage - ABC News
Finger-Pointing, but Few Answers at Hearings on Drilling - The New York Times
Complaints Over U.N. Prize Sponsored by Equatorial Guinea's Obiang - Reuters
Guide: Community-Company Grievance Resolution for Australian Mining Industry - Oxfam Australia (pdf)
Cote D'Ivoire: President for Life, and Then Some - The New York Times
In Midst of Massive Spill, Oil Industry Fighting Transparency and Accountability - Oxfam America
Leaked Oil Contracts in DRC Threaten Resource Wars and $10 Billion Rip-Off by British Company - Carbon Web
Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries
Contract transparency is sorely needed to improve the management of natural resource wealth. In a new report from RWI, authors Peter Rosenblum and Susan Maples delve into government and private sector objections to contract disclosure and make conclusions about what information may legitimately and reasonably be kept confidential, and how civil society institutions can better confront the challenge of secret deals.
Learn more about the report ...
NEW TRANSLATION: Revenue Redistribution at the Local Level
Many resource-rich countries are attempting to compensate their producing regions through shares of resource revenues to be spent at the local level. In "Extractive Industries Revenues Distribution at the Sub-National Level," development economics consultant Matteo Morgandi presents a comparative analysis of international legislation for distribution of extractive revenues from across all levels of government. Prepared at the request of the Peruvian National Congress, the report studies the legislative practices of seven resource-rich countries to identify potential and address challenges. Please note that this report is now also available in Vietnamese.
Learn more ...