Transparency advert launches across Europe
Corporate lobbyists for a few oil, gas and mining companies are fighting hard to water down European transparency laws that could help millions of people escape poverty. If their efforts are successful billions of dollars of payments they make to African governments will remain secret, fuelling corruption and starving vital services like hospitals and schools of funding. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Today we are stepping up our campaign on this issue. As key decision makers across Europe prepare to meet and discuss the laws, we are launching a powerful new advert in the Financial Times and other major newspapers across Europe. We’re showing people how the law risks being watered down.
But we need your help to add to the pressure. Click here to sign our petition, which reads:
Dear European Leaders,
Please stand up to corporate lobbying against proposed EU laws requiring oil, gas and mining companies to publish payments to foreign governments. Pass strong laws that will help citizens spot corruption and ensure the money is used to lift millions of people out of poverty.
The new laws are a once in a generation opportunity to lift the lid on these secret payments that allow unscrupulous leaders to siphon off some of the profits. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity to get it right.
Please help intensify this pressure by signing our petition calling on leaders to stand up to this fierce corporate lobbying.
We’ve seen the damage the resource curse can do in countries like Equatorial Guinea which has vast wealth from oil but huge inequality. Seven in ten people live in poverty despite the country having a greater average wealth per person than some European countries. The proposed new laws provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn the resource curse into a blessing. Let’s not waste this. Call on European leaders to show their mettle and stand up to corporate lobbying.
If enough of us join together we can help millions of people lift themselves out of poverty.
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The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
30/05/2012 at 8:36 am
Fully agree with your campaign. Poor communities should be able to benefit from the wealth beneath their feet. The only way this can start to happen is if both companies and governments are honest about how much they make from oil, gas and diamond…resources that should be a blessing to all, not a curse!
30/05/2012 at 9:41 am
A great advert! Project-by-project reporting by companies is essential if the EU rules are to provide local communities and civil society with the information needed to hold governments and businesses to account for the wealth they extract on behalf of sociey in general. We can’t afford to have the law watered down.
30/05/2012 at 1:24 pm
The ONE Way is, we all must stay together, to chanching that situation ………
31/05/2012 at 2:18 pm
Signed and shared! Together as ONE!