ABSTRACT
This chapter uses Myanmar to explore the impact of corruption in the natural resources sector and assesses the role of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in alleviating this problem. Corruption relating to natural resources differs amongst types of natural resources and the society within which they are exploited. In the forestry sector, corruption and resource dependency result in increased deforestation. The EITI emerged in the early 2000s as part of a shift in global governance towards revenue transparency. Myanmar's ethnic diversity and history of conflict and authoritarianism have resulted in complex political and economic systems with overlapping and contested authority structures. Mining is included in Myanmar's EITI while in July 2015 Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on an EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement. The key components of the EITI implementation process are the formation and operation of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) and the EITI Reports.
