Civil society actors monitor extractive sector initiative

Civil society actors gathered this weekend in Yaoundé, for an international conference on monitoring of the sector initiatives.

A true paradox, observe academics! Explaining that in a general way, the natural resource-rich countries are less well sorted on the human development index.

While extractive manna ought to be creator of jobs, boost the economies in a significant way and contribute to the reduction of poverty. "But this is not the case", regrets the Prof. Richard Filakota, Rector of the Catholic University of Central Africa (UCAC).

He presided at the campus of Ekounou in Yaounde, at the opening of an international conference held last Friday, on "monitoring initiatives of governance of extractive industries in francophone Africa: assessment and prospects.

Participants, actors of the civil society (academics, religious, journalists, members of NGOs and other associations) came from various countries in francophone Africa.

From one State to another, the observation of the paradox is common. The diagnosis of the actors of the civil society concluded that the problem is mainly due to the lack of transparency and equity at different levels of the chain of values from the extractive industries.

Civil society organisations have always raised the alarm and demanded better governance in the creation and use of natural resources.

It acknowledges, however, that this sector, once surrounded by opacity and managed as an area reserved for the political elite and multinational companies, begins to open to the public. With inter alia the requirements of programs such as the Initiative for transparency in the extractive industries.

Groups of civil society therefore, acting as supervisory bodies, move efficiently through vigilance and advocacy actions. This also is the overall objective of the international conference organized by the Centre of excellence for the governance of extractive industries in francophone Africa (CEGIEAF) of the Faculty of social and management sciences of the UCAC.