Guyana will sit on the International Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative for the next three years, with Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat named a Principal Member of the Implementing Country Constituency.
The Ministry of Natural Resources announced on July 2 that Bharrat will represent Latin America and the Caribbean for the 2026–2029 term. The appointment was announced by the EITI International Secretariat on June 30 through an official circular.
The Ministry said the appointment followed a four-month regional nomination and consensus-building process, which ran from February 11 to June 24.
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Bharrat is Guyana’s national EITI Champion. His appointment comes as Guyana undergoes its 2026 EITI Validation process, which formally started on May 15. The global evaluation assesses the country’s progress in resource transparency, data disclosure, and collaboration among government, industry, and civil society.
The Ministry said Guyana’s seat on the international board places the country closer to regional transparency policy discussions. It also comes as the Ministry works on domestic structural and legal updates to align with the evolving EITI Standard.
According to the statement, Bharrat’s role is expected to support stronger representation for Latin America and the Caribbean in global extractive governance. It is also expected to reinforce Guyana’s focus on open data, beneficial ownership disclosure, and accountable revenue tracking across its oil, gas, and mining sectors.
Guyana’s extractive sector has expanded rapidly since oil production began offshore in 2019. The country is now producing oil from multiple developments in the Stabroek Block, while mining remains a major part of the economy.
Guyana joined the EITI in 2017, two years after the first commercial oil discovery offshore.
