ABSTRACT
The recognition that some complex governance challenges are best managed through collective approaches is fundamental to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). To draw lessons on collective governance from the EITI, it is first necessary to chart the brief history of the EITI, describing what it is, how far it has come and why it has developed as it has. By the time of the third EITI global conference in Oslo in October 2006, the implementing countries were preparing their first EITI reconciliation reports. Azerbaijan had already produced reports covering revenue from 2003 to 2005 and Nigeria a report covering 1999–2004. The EITI, in effect, had evolved into a collective governance standard. In February 2009, Azerbaijan became the first country to be compliant with this standard, and was soon followed by Liberia, Timor Leste, Nigeria and Ghana. The aim of the EITI should be to strengthen government (and company) systems, and inform public debate and trust building.
