Known as Section 1504 or Cardin-Lugar provision of the Dodd-Frank Act, the law requires oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments they make to countries where they do business. While fighting this law in the US courts, these four companies sit on the global board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) – a set of voluntary principles under which governments publicly disclose their revenues from oil, gas and mining projects, and companies make parallel disclosures regarding payments they make to host governments for oil and mineral extraction.

The call to action comes as the EITI global conference kicks off in Sydney where representatives from civil society, oil, gas and mining companies and governments have gathered to discuss increasing transparency in extractive industries. The EITI board is launching a new standard that will require company and project-level reporting in line with Section 1504 as well as the recently agreed EU mandatory disclosure law. In addition to publicly held companies, which are also covered by the US law, the European directives will require large privately-held companies to disclose payments.

“From rural villagers in Africa to investors on Wall Street, the new EITI standard coupled with US and EU mandatory disclosure laws sends a strong signal to companies that the transparency train has left the station,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program who is speaking at the global conference.

Momentum for increasing transparency in the extractive industries started over a decade ago with the “Publish What You Pay” campaign followed quickly by the establishment of the EITI. Now, 11 countries have implemented EITI with the United States being the first G8 country to commit to implementation as well as pass a mandatory disclosure law. Mandatory disclosure ensures that citizens in resource rich countries will have access to payment information even if their government has not volunteered to join EITI. Companies can “support” EITI without disclosing payments in every country of operation.

“Transparency in the oil, gas and mining industry is now a global norm,” said Gary. “Oil companies should join citizens in resource-rich countries, investors, and energy consumers in supporting disclosure rather than seeking to turn back the tide through litigation and threaten global progress toward reducing corruption in resource-rich countries.”

While mining companies have not fought implementation of the US rule, the oil industry, through API, is now pursuing its lawsuit in the US District Court after the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed the case based on jurisdictional grounds. Oxfam will file a supplemental brief to rebut API’s unsubstantiated arguments.

“Protection of the law is essential for investors to asses a company’s risk and for communities in resource-rich countries to hold governments to account,” said Gary. “This lawsuit is wholly incompatible with the industry’s transparency commitments and support of payment disclosure through such initiatives as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It is unacceptable that oil companies should receive reputation benefits by supporting a transparency initiative while at the same time fighting a landmark payment disclosure law in US courts. ”

Additional Resources:

- VIDEO: Promote transparency: End the secret payments in oil and mining industries

The report, No Accident: Resilience and the inequality of risk, shows that the millions of people experiencing poverty bear a disproportionate amount of the risk of disaster. Some 90 per cent of workers in least developed countries have no social security and 97 per cent of people on low incomes have no insurance cover making them highly vulnerable to disasters, food hikes and or illness – 100 million people fall into poverty just because they have to pay for health care. Women are particularly vulnerable because of their economic, political and social status.

The incidence of extreme weather-related events is increasing and more people are living in places that are susceptible to disasters. Since 1970 the number of people exposed to floods and cyclones has doubled.

“Inequality is driving up poor people’s vulnerability. Vulnerability is not a random twist of fate. Risk is actively being dumped on to people. While rich countries reap the benefits of carbon-spewing economic growth, those in the world’s poorer countries suffer the consequences. Aid can help soften the blow but if we are to tackle the injustice of this we have to deal with the inequality of power and politics that make people vulnerable. That means rich countries http://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/pressreleases/portal_factory/PressRelease/pressrelease.2013-05-21.4890964089/editreducing the risk of climate change, governments everywhere reducing inequalities and giving poor people a voice in decisions that affect their lives. It also means the aid world changing the way it does business and working more effectively at supporting people to cope better with crises,” said Debbie Hillier, the report’s author.

The report calls for a fundamental shift both in overcoming emergencies and reducing entrenched poverty. It calls on governments and aid agencies to ensure that efforts to boost economic growth are matched by efforts to manage risk and to reduce inequality – they must go hand in hand. National governments must ensure that their poorest citizens are protected in times of crisis and can access essential services like health and education, funded by more progressive taxation.

The aid world, including Oxfam, also needs to change and end the divide between short term humanitarian work and the long term development work. This will require both a transformation in working culture and much more flexible funding

The report also goes on to say that development work cannot be predominately targeted in largely stable environments. The world is shifting radically. By 2015, half of all people living with less than $1.25 a day will be in fragile states and conflicts, and millions more will face disasters from global economic or environmental changes that seem out of control.

Oxfam says that the aid world’s new focus on ‘resilience’ – building poor people’s ability to cope with crises – is far too much focused on technical fixes and needs to take into account the politics and power that make people vulnerable.

As refugees continue to arrive in Jordan and Lebanon, Oxfam says the health risks must be urgently addressed. Increased cases of public health-related diseases such as diarrhea and skin infections have already been recorded in host communities and temporary settlements where an increasing number of refugees now live. Just in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, there are now some 240 tented settlements, six times the amount recorded in January.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says more than 100 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, also known as the Aleppo boil, have been diagnosed in private clinics in the past two weeks. If left untreated, the festering boil, can grow to a weeping wound several centimeters in diameter. It is caused by a single-cell parasite that is transmitted by sand fly. Access to medicine, clean water, and good hygiene practices are critical to help treat these infections.

Despite the generosity of Lebanese citizens and authorities, most Syrian refugees still have poor access to water and sanitation facilities in Lebanon. UNHCR says it is worried that the incidence of water-related diseases will increase in the coming few months as a result. In MSF clinics throughout the Beqaa Valley, 84 cases of diarrhea have been confirmed in April. According to the agency, the rise in case load is expected to continue in the coming months due to lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation and the arrival of the hot season. International Medical Corps (IMC) in Lebanon reported that seven percent of the patients were suffering from gastro intestinal diseases and is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Access to clean and potable water is essential as gastro intestinal diseases can lead to dehydration.

Oxfam, which has decades of experience in addressing public health risks through improved access to water and sanitation, says it is crucial to ensure funds are in place to provide refugees with shelter, clean water and adequate sanitation. Oxfam is aiming to raise some $53.4 million over the next year, but so far its appeal is only 23 percent funded ($10.6 million).

“We are starting to really worry about the health of Syrian refugees. Too many are living in inadequate shelters such as an empty shopping center or the outskirts of a cemetery. These shelters have no toilets, little water and garbage has started to pile up. With high summer right around the corner, refugees living in poor sanitary conditions are facing serious risks of diseases,” said Rick Bauer, regional humanitarian coordinator for Oxfam.

“During the upcoming months of dry summer, we need to minimize the risks and this starts with providing refugees with proper shelter. High rental costs in both Jordan and Lebanon are forcing thousands of refugees to live and sleep in overcrowded, insanitary conditions, with little privacy. The aid effort must be properly funded and focused on providing refugees with affordable and decent places to stay, where they can live with dignity. That’s priority number one for refugees and host communities alike.”

As needs continue to grow both in Syria and host countries, the current UN appeal for the Syria crisis is only 58 per cent funded, over US$650 million-short. The UN agencies are set to review and issue a new call for funds for the next six months on June 7.

In Jordan, where 55 percent of the refugees are under the age of 18, Syrians living in host communities, are lacking the money to buy the basics including soap and enough water for bathing. In one tent community in West Balqa Oxfam found that some children could only take a bath once every ten days. Oxfam has already seen an increasing number of skin infections especially among young children.

The aid organization is also looking to increase its direct assistance in Balqa and Zarqa to help refugee as well as local communities access clean water and essential hygiene items. Oxfam will be working closely with refugees and host communities to introduce water conservation measures and promote hygiene practices using less water for all residents, including local communities. In addition, Oxfam is scaling up its water and sanitation program in Jordan’s biggest refugee camp, Zataari camp, to cope with the rising temperatures and the knock-on health risks. World Health Organization has identified dehydration, diarrhea, and food conservation as the main risks in the camp.

In Lebanon, the North Governorate hosts the highest concentration of people in need of clean water and basic sanitation. As of May 2013, some 635,000 people are in need of assistance – both refugees and host communities – and Oxfam says it anticipates this number to increase to more than 740,000 by November 2013.

Municipalities in the Beqaa Valley have reported to international aid organizations that they were unable to provide solid waste disposal services for the refugees. They have called for funding to be able to assist and make sure that garbage disposal is done on a regular basis in makeshift camps now home to thousands of Syrian refugees.
       
Bauer said: “The sad reality is that the vast majority of Syrian refugees are not going home soon. It is also crystal clear that host communities in Lebanon and Jordan need urgent help. Both countries have shown incredible solidarity and generosity in welcoming refugees, but they need help dealing with serious health risks and the possibility of diseases which will affect refugees and host communities alike in the coming months.

“During the summer months, people need secure water supplies for good hygiene practices and prevent common diseases. But if aid groups and local authorities are to be able to increase their programs, they need more funds. There is no way around it. Providing safe water, appropriate sanitation facilities, and access to health care is costly. It’s time for the key donors to wake up and face that reality.”

“Cooperation between the United States and Turkey is vital. The two countries have distinct yet complementary strengths and must work together to find real, coordinated solutions that will save lives in Syria and bring stability to the region. Now is the time for Turkey to match its generous contributions to the humanitarian response with meaningful action to push for a political solution to the crisis,” said Noah Gottschalk, Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor for Oxfam.

Last week, the United States pledged another $100 million in humanitarian support to Syrians (bringing the total to nearly $500 million). As President Obama recognized today, Turkey has also made significant humanitarian contributions on border of the Syrian conflict, hosting more than 200,000 refugees in 17 camps and around 200,000 more outside the camps as well as investing more than $750 million to date in response to this humanitarian crisis. This support is critical for the millions of civilians uprooted from their homes and living in camps and host communities throughout the region.

“International humanitarian funding is welcomed, but the demand is simply outweighing the supply. Aid organizations are scrambling to meet the needs and coordination is increasingly difficult in a fragmented and polarized context. Saving lives of civilian women, men and children caught in the crossfire and responding to their basic needs will become increasingly difficult unless common sense prevails, people are allowed to reach the aid they need, and violence stops,” said Gottschalk.

Increasing humanitarian aid, while vital, is not enough. As President Obama and Prime Minister Erdogan continue their discussions this evening, more than 70,000 people have already been killed with more dying every day the conflict continues. Prime Minister Erdogan has previously called upon the United States to provide lethal assistance to Syrian opposition groups, but transfers of weapons and ammunition risks both prolonging conflict and further destabilizing countries in the region. It would also almost certainly contradict the principles of the recently-agreed Arms Trade Treaty that outlaws arms transfers, which pose an overriding risk of being used to commit serious abuses of human rights or international humanitarian law. The two governments must push for strong, coordinated political engagement from all sides. Support or providing more arms and ammunition to one side in Syria encourages other governments to increase arms supplies to the opposing side.

“Providing arms won’t ‘level the playing field’; it will fuel a relentless arms race with deadly consequences, both in the short and long term. The meeting today is an opportunity for the United States and Turkey to show leadership in the international community. Instead of arms support, leaders should focus on pressing the warring parties to ensure civilians are safe and can access aid, and work toward a lasting political solution,” said Gottschalk.

Early efforts to control the global arms trade date back almost 100 years to when members of the League of Nations tried unsuccessfully to develop an agreement in the wake of World War I. Ten years ago, when Oxfam joined Amnesty International and the International Action Network on Small Arms to formally launch the Control Arms Campaign, only three small countries--Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Mali--supported the idea of a treaty. Today, the vast majority of world governments now agree with them as consequences of the poorly regulated trade make headlines almost daily.

The suffering in Syria, where armed conflict continues to rage two years after an uprising, is but one example. Within the country, nearly seven million people need humanitarian assistance and more than one million others have fled to neighboring Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

“Millions of people around the world have stood up and called for governments to put an end to the irresponsible arms trade and develop rules of behavior that put human rights and the protection of civilians at the center of arms trade decisions,” said Scott Stedjan, a senior policy advisor for humanitarian response at Oxfam America. “The most heart-rending appeals are from civilians who have endured the chaos and horror of unregulated combat, irregular combatants, and loose arms flowing over borders.”

The treaty—the world’s first—will require governments to determine whether the arms they want to sell or transfer could be used for human rights abuses, violation of humanitarian law, or terrorism. If there is a major risk of that happening, the new global norm that the treaty will eventually establish would make those transfers very difficult.

The treaty will come into force 90 days after 50 countries have ratified it. But first, world governments must sign it, a process that will begin in just a few weeks. Many governments will be watching to see how the US handles this next step. As a leading exporter representing about 70 percent of the global arms market, the US carries enormous clout: The decisions it makes will, inevitably, influence those of other countries. By signing swiftly, the US will signal the urgency of this historic opportunity.

An estimated 1,500 people a day lose their lives because of armed violence. The treaty won’t stop that overnight, but it will begin to change the way in which countries buy, sell, or transfer the arms that have brought devastation to countless families and communities around the world.

Chávez suffered harsh physical and psychological abuse from her husband. The police had to rescue her twice from the brutal beatings and take her to the hospital. Her husband was imprisoned both times. After the second incident, Chávez moved out and set up a new home on her own, taking a job selling Avon products door to door so she could feed her children.

Now, at 30, Chávez lives alone with her four daughters, and has become a leader to the women in her community. When she speaks, it’s with no bitterness in her voice. As she tells the story of how she got where she is today, her tone is soft yet determined.

“A little over a year ago I started to get involved. It was the political campaign for the mayor’s elections,” recalled Chávez “One of the candidates said: ’Gather votes for me and I will help you.’ I said to myself: “I have to get ahead! I will gather women. We will support the candidate mayor, and then help will come for us. I gathered almost 335 women. Now, I’m their leader and I got to know the government institutions. That is how it all started.”

The candidate Chávez rooted for won the election and is now  the mayor of Santiago Atitlán, a municipality of the department of Sololá, Guatemala. However, with his election, the much hoped for help for the women did not come.

But that didn’t stop Chávez. Through the Municipal Women’s Office she got involved in Oxfam’s Campaign for the Prevention of Gender Based Violence. Chávez receives training and information on women’s rights, on where to go for help, and on how to help other women.

“They come to me all beat up, and I won’t permit that,” says Chávez. “I take them in; I tell them a man who does that is not a man. Take a decision. Let’s go and denounce him. Let’s put an end to this. You can do it. You can work and earn your own money. Maybe it won’t be much, but you will be at peace. That’s what I do now, and I like it so much.

“Come here and sleep the night here, I tell them. Tomorrow I will accompany you and we’ll start fixing things. Oh, how I would like to run a shelter for women!”

The 335 women Chávez gathered for the mayoral campaign, are now part of a formal organization they named “Flower of Atitlan,” headed by Chávez. She visits communities, gives talks on women’s rights, and accompanies battered women. Oxfam offers her training and educational material to use.

“Before, I didn’t feel the same strength I feel today,” says Chávez. “Everything that I’ve been through, it has strengthened me a lot. I’m not afraid anymore. If something happens, we shouldn’t keep quiet. We have to make it public.  We women have rights, too!”

The international humanitarian organization published a report today called Mali: A New Development Contract, as donors meet in Brussels to discuss their plans for the country’s future.

Marietou Diaby, Oxfam’s Country Director in Mali, said that since the breakout of the crisis last year international attention on Mali has focused mainly on security and counter-terrorism so far. That focus now needs to be widened.

“Donors must learn the lessons from crises such as Afghanistan that a narrow approach to winning a military conflict is never enough to achieve sustainable long-term peace and security,” Diaby said. “Donors need to help build the foundations for genuine prosperity in Mali – otherwise they’ll have left the job half done.”

Mali today is in dire straits. As of last month, people in the north are facing a second food crisis in as many years. There are food shortages, disruption of supplies and inflation. Around 467,000 people – approximately one third of the population in the North – are displaced by the conflict. The country’s economy is now in decline, having fallen in the UN Human Development Index to one of the five poorest in the world over the last 12 months.

Oxfam stresses that Mali does have strong economic potential. It is now Africa’s third largest gold producer but the population has not yet profited from this wealth. One in five people – around three million altogether – live in extreme poverty and are unable to meet their basic nutritional needs.

“The Malian government is primarily responsible to its own people to drive the country’s development,” continued Diaby. “It certainly needs to improve the management of its resources and distribute the benefits more fairly. It must overcome the problems of corruption and lack of transparency. Mali’s future prosperity must be much more grounded in the interests and needs of ordinary people and allow them to play a more central role in determining their future.”

Oxfam says smart development aid can play a significant role at this crucial time too. There are encouraging signs that donors know it’s time now to shift their focus toward solving the structural problems that are undermining Mali’s development. They have to follow through with real action – provide immediate resources for the humanitarian response and commit funding for the long-term, at least the next 15 years. They must also clearly state that they need to see a government using its resources to tackle poverty and corruption and inequality and to promote human rights.