Membership process

EITI membership process can be conditionally divided into two phases, during which the country implements the requirements set out by the EITI Standard, for becoming a candidate country and then a compliant country.


1. A country intending to implement the EITI is required to undertake a number of steps before applying to become an EITI candidate country.  These steps relate to:

• Government’s commitment to implement the initiative
• Assignment of the Coordinator of the EITI implementation process 
• Establishment of a multi-stakeholder group which will oversee the EITI implementation process
• Agreement on an EITI work plan.
  
  When the country has completed these steps and wishes to be recognised as an EITI candidate, the government should submit an EITI Candidature Application to the EITI Board.

2. In accordance with the EITI Standard, all EITI implementing countries are subject to periodic evaluation (“Validation”). When the EITI Board admits an EITI candidate, it will also establish deadlines for publishing the first EITI Report and undertaking Validation. An implementing country’s first EITI Report must be published after 18 months from the date that the country was admitted as an EITI candidate. Armenia's first Validation process will start on 9 September 2019. 

In order to become EITI compliant, implementing countries must demonstrate through Validation that they have met all the EITI Requirements and deadlines, implemented the EITI Work plan. Board-appointed Validators also assess the work of the MSG and the national secretariat and how transparent the EITI implementation was conducted.  The Final Validation Report will include the Validator’s assessment of compliance with each provision.
Where Validation verifies that a country has not achieved compliance, the EITI Board will establish the corrective actions that the country is required to undertake and a timeframe of 3-18 months for the next Validation where progress with the corrective actions will be assessed.
Where Validation verifies that a country has made satisfactory progress on all of the requirements, the EITI Board will designate that country as EITI compliant. The EITI Board will make the final determination of whether the requirements are met or unmet, and on the country’s overall compliance. EITI candidate countries are required to commence the first Validation within two and a half years of becoming an EITI candidate. EITI compliant countries are required to be re-validated every three years.

More information about EITI member countries can be found here.