|
Topicality
0 | | | | | | | | | All
Videos
0 | | | | | | | | | All
|
The experiment of Nigeria is an example not to be followed according to the NGO .
With the support of the Swiss co-operation, ONG organized in Geneva a conference on the oil boom in Africa and its negotiable instruments on the populations.
The NGO continues its commitment initiated in Chad in favor of advantageous oil incomes to the producers worldwide. Explanations of its spokesperson Catherine
Some 200 representatives of the oil mediums, of African governments, international organizations and civil society found Thursday in Geneva for an entitled conference “oil is not fatally a curse for Africa.”
A bond with the measurement of the challenge which a fair distribution of the incomes of oil constitutes. In particular in Chad.
Since 2003 indeed, this poor country of Africa produces it. Since 1998, ONG Chadian make pressure on their government so that this oil manna benefits the unit from the population. And this within the framework of a structure joining together the World Bank, the oil companies, the State and the Chadian civil society.
Explanations of Catherine , spokesperson of .
: Which is the direction of your commitment in the management of oil in Chad?
Catherine : is present at Chad since decades. As of the ad that its oil deposits were going to be exploited, the Chadians, the civil society with whom we work, decided to mobilize themselves so that the incomes of oil serve really the worldwide.
It is in EC mobilization that we made the decision to support our Chadian partners.
: Which balance-sheet do you fire from these first years of mobilization?
CM: The speech of ONG Chadian constitutes the most positive point. They became de facto a countervailing power which it is necessary to take into account. Today, the Chadian example makes school in Niger and in Guinea , two other countries equipped with oil reserves where we are also present.
However, the situation is very unstable in Chad, including with the crisis of the Sudanese area of the Darfur frontier of Chad. As for the oil file, he knew a great number of bounces. What involved an amendment of the Chadian law on oil.
: Is the principle of the content for the future generations supplied with 10% of the oil incomes definitively abandoned?
CM: The Chadian government called into question this principle by objecting that it needed this money to fight now against poverty. thus renegotiated the initial contract signed with the World Bank and the oil companies and obtained the removal of this funds.
But ONG succeeded in coordinating each other and to be made understand including in Washington, sits of the World Bank.
: the conference that you did organize in Geneva takes part of this mobilization?
CM: Chad, Niger or Guinea will know very important financial flows when the exploitation of the oil resources fully starts. It is thus essential to make sure that these funds really benefit the country.
For that, makes a point of maintaining a key component of the involved process several years ago: the possibility given to the unit of the partners of the oil file (government, oil company, the World Bank, development agencies and NGO) to find themselves and swap.
It is in this spirit that we organized this conference in Geneva. It is about floor on new runways in the interest understood well of each party so that oil serf to improve the living conditions of the population of the producer countries in Africa.
The objective is not to repeat the experiment of Nigeria marked by violence, the corruption or the stop even of the production. Because this scenario catastrophe does not benefit any the parties, that is the producer country or the oil companies.
However Geneva is a completely suitable city to hold this kind of conference since it shelters all the actors concerned with oil industry, including the NGO and the international organizations.
: But this combat is far from being gained.
CM: Power station and West Africa knows an oil boom and oil industry succeeds in obtaining very advantageous contracts, considering the governments in place are politically weakened and economically disaster victims.
It is thus essential that the colossal investments of oil industry which exceed by far the last development assistance and investments benefit the worldwide concerned.
A certain number of initiatives to the international level were taken besides to improve management and the transparency of the oil businesses.
Moreover, in spite of the importance of the stakes, the Chadian civil society discusses equal footing with the World Bank or the oil companies. And these companies take more and more account of Western countries. What pushes with the adoption of ethical codes.
It is also necessary to note the massive arrival of the Chinese oil companies which invest Africa. This irruption constitutes a new challenge, considering the little of case which they make of the human rights.
Interview . Frederic in Geneva
.