The Extractive Industries Trasparency Initiative workshop “Towards EITI Conference in Oslo 2006” was held on August 31-September 1, 2006 in Bonn, Germany. Shahmar Movsumov, the Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan participated at the workshop.

Reviewing the draft report by the EITI International Advisory Group, which is to be submitted to the 3rd international EITI Conference to be held in Oslo, the meeting participants discussed the issues of validation of EITI implementation, establishment of the multisakeholder Board supported by EITI Secretariat to manage EITI at the international level, structure and place of the Secretariat. Senior representatives of the US government, Department of International Department of the United Kingdom, Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Netherlands and France, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development of Nigeria, World Bank, IMF, Chevron, BP, Petrobras, Anglo-American and local and international non-governmental institutions such as Open Society Institute, Global Witness and others took part at the workshop.

The Oslo Conference will consummate the establishment of the EITI Board, which will consist of 5 representatives of implementing countries, 3 of supporting countries, 5 of civil society organizations, 5 companies or company associations and 1 investment company. Being a pilot country in impelementation of EITI Azerbaijan is to be elected as a member of the Board.

The Board will be established to oversee the future operation of EITI. The Board will have responsibility for the overall development, strategic direction, and credibility of EITI, and will make recommendations on these issues for agreement by the EITI Conference, through a written report to the Conference. The Board will also oversee and direct the work of the EITI Secretariat.