Civil society advocacy strengthens public oversight of oil and gas deals
In 2017, the Lebanese Oil and Gas Initiative (LOGI), a civil society organisation member of PWYP, conducted an analysis of laws governing the recently developed oil and gas sector in Lebanon. This identified gaps in the legal framework that could enable corruption – in particular, risks arising from the secrecy of oil contracts and obscurity about who the real owners of companies receiving contracts were.
LOGI and its civil society partners conducted an advocacy campaign to require the public disclosure of the real owners of companies being awarded contracts, as well as the contracts themselves. By 2018, the civil society coalition had not only secured laws requiring this, but had prompted the ratification of laws covering the whole extractive sector value chain. The coalition created new space for civil society to seek accountability from companies and the government concerning the use of Lebanese natural resources.
This is an important step, but Lebanon must go further. LOGI and the Coalition for Energy Governance (CEG), and in collaboration with PWYP, are currently working towards the holding of elections of civil society representatives to implement the EITI’s requirements and to ensure a more transparent governance of the oil and gas sector in Lebanon.
To ensure stronger regulation of the extractive sector, civil society organisations must have a say in the legislative process. They are now advocating for ensuring a more transparent and accountable Lebanese parliament by opening its parliamentary committee sessions to the public.
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