Correspondence with the Export Credit Working Group and OECD Secretary-General Gurria
On 18 November 2008, a broad coalition of international non-governmental organisations protested outside the OECD in Paris to condemn the lack of progress by export credit agencies in implementing strict sustainability guidelines and conducting meaningful consultations with civil society.
This protest followed a lengthy series of correspondence after the NGO coalition walked out of the last OECD / CSO consultation on export credit policies on 5 November 2007. An overview of this correspondence highlights ECA Watch efforts to encourage transparency and respect for international environmental standards by taxpayer funded OECD member export credit agencies. Since the OECD ceased to publish correspondence with CSOs on its web site after 23 November 2007, this overview is necessary to provide taxpayers, the media and other interested parties with better information on environmental concerns with some $100 billion in export projects supported by OECD ECAs each year.
5 November 2007 ECA Watch letter re its walk-out of the ECG consultation
23 November 2007 reply from the OECD's ECG to ECA Watch
5 March 2008 ECA Watch proposals for an enhanced OECD peer review process on adherence with OECD export credit policies
29 July 2008 OECD ECG invitation to ECA Watch to attend November consultation
21 August 2008 ECA Watch response to invitation expressing concerns about process and a complete lack of communication on ECG discussions of ECA Watch proposals since November 2007
25 September 2008 OECD ECG response to ECA Watch noting that internal discussions on CSO consultation modalities had taken place
8 November 2008 ECA Watch letter to OECD ECG expressing regret at the lack of substantive response on proposals and advising that it would not be a productive use of its members’ time and energy to attend the November consultation with ECG.
13 November 2008 OECD ECG response regreting ECA Watch decision not to attend the consultation
18 November 2008 ECA Watch letter to OECD Secretary General Gurria urging him to ensure that OECD Recommendations and standards are met by member countries.
23 November 2008 Letter from The Corner House to ECDG (UK ECA) re lack of response to national dialogue on an enhanced OECD peer review process
28 November 2008 - OECD brief summary of 18-19 November 2008 meetings, including a one page note on an "enhanced" peer review process which, like the OECD environmental and anti-bribery Recommendations they monitor, falls far short of international best practices of accountability for taxpayer funded programmes. In its 18 November 2008 letter to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria, ECA Watch noted that "current procedures lack the minimum of independence and transparency associated with any credible peer review process."