As you all know, ONE has been campaigning hard in recent weeks to pressure the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to pass a hard rule on the Cardin-Lugar Amendment. More than 180,000 of our members have contributed their voices to the cause, and they’re not the only ones: Global Witness attended this month’s Indaba Mining Conference and has compiled a video of interviews with African mining ministers and company execs who are tired of corruption spoiling their industry.
Big names like Musa Mohammed Sada, Nigeria’s minister of mines and steel development, and Mohamed Lamine Fofana, Guinea’s minister of mines and geology, agree that the corruption is a “serious challenge” and that the “most effective way to fight against corruption is to be transparent at all levels.”
Over the past few months, ONE has become very interested in the government affairs of Equatorial Guinea, a tiny Spanish-speaking country off the Western coast of Africa. The country, home to sizeable petroleum reserves, is one of the richest on the continent — but also has the most uneven distribution of wealth. Approximately 70 percent of the country lives below the poverty line, while those in power are living a life of incredible opulence.
The cause for this disparity is unquestionably corruption, specifically in the extractives (oil, mining, gas, etc.) industry. To learn more about this issue in Equatorial Guinea and beyond, we spoke to Tutu Alicante, an Equatoguinean human rights lawyer and the executive director of EG Justice, an NGO devoted to fighting corruption in Equatorial Guinea. You might recognize his name from our email at the beginning of our extractives transparency campaign, where he expressed his outrage at Big Oil for bullying the US Securities and Exchange Commission into secret deals.
Leading business publications the Financial Times and The Economist have recently voiced their support for transparency laws on both sides of the Atlantic that will help reduce corruption in developing countries and increase the resources spent on poverty reduction.
They join the voices of 180,000 ONE members who have called for policy-makers to stand firm against lobbying by a small group of oil and mining companies who want to maintain the secrecy status quo (you can still sign our US and European petitions).
Joseph Kraus and Meredith Varela of EG Justice, an organization that focuses on improving human rights and good governance in Equatorial Guinea, highlight the need for greater transparency to end corruption.
A typical Equatoguinean neighborhood, contrasted with the trappings of the Obiang family’s opulent lifestyle. Photo credit: EG Justice and Wikimedia Commons.
An unusual scene unfolded on Valentine’s Day in Paris this year: French police raided a residence belonging to the family of President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea. The raid occurred as part of an ongoing French corruption investigation into three African heads of state, including President Obiang. What the police discovered highlights the desperate need for strong transparency rules that help citizens of resource-rich countries hold their governments accountable for how their money gets spent.
Last week for ONE Act a Week, we asked you to voice your thanks to the 14 representatives who sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission in support of transparency. Nearly 200 of you responded! We collected your notes into this document tweeted it to them with this tweet:
We encourage you to do so, too — just cut and paste the message above into a tweet and direct it to a few of the handles below. We know you probably won’t be able to fit them in 140 characters, so you might have to do ‘em in batches.
Just ONE Reason is a weekly look at just ONE of the thousands of reasons leaders in Washington should make smart decisions on development policies.
Yesterday, ONE members and Jubilee USA delivered a petition signed by more than 100,000 people to the SEC. This is one more step in our campaign to stop corrupt government officials from stealing from the people of their countries.
To date, 110,307 members have signed our petition, more to come 5,780 sent direct messages to the SEC 1,453 tweets have been sent
Every dollar not reported by extractive companies is a dollar susceptible to theft. Every dollar stolen is a threat to the well-being and future of millions of people in the poorest places on the planet.
The SEC must write a rule that reflects the intent of the law and not the desire for continued secrecy that protects corrupt leaders.
ONE is an advocacy organization dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world, particularly in Africa. Backed by 2 million members, we work with government leaders in both parties to support proven, cost-effective solutions to save lives and build sustainable futures.
You signed and we delivered! Yesterday, members of ONE and Jubilee USA joined forces to deliver the names of more than 100,000 petition signers to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). By adding your name, you joined thousands in this crucial step to ensure that the SEC commissioners stand up to big oil companies and release a rule that upholds the spirit of the Cardin-Lugar Amendment, a new law designed to protect investors and fight corruption by putting put an end to secret deals between extractive companies and foreign governments.
After dropping off the petitions, ONE member Emily Korenak reflected, “It was cool having something so substantial to deliver. The stacks of paper were pretty heavy, so I hope the weight of the people’s voices weighs on the minds of the SEC commissioners.”
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
