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Can Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Resolve the 'Resource Curse'?

14 September 2016 9:30AM EDT

  • Event

  • Ending 11:00AM EDT

In nearly every country, subnational governments receive public funds, either through direct tax collection or through intergovernmental transfers. However, in more than 30 countries—including Bolivia, Canada, the DRC, Indonesia, Nigeria and Papua New Guinea—distribution of non-renewable natural resource revenues to subnational authorities is governed by a set of rules that are distinct from those governing distribution of non-resource revenues.
LOCATION
UNDP FF Building
304 E. 45th St.
10th Floor, Amartya Sen Conference Room (14 September 9:30 a.m.)

This event has concluded. A recording of the audio of the event is  available here

A discussion on the same topic took place in Washington, D.C., on 12 September.  

DESCRIPTION
In nearly every country, subnational governments receive public funds, either through direct tax collection or through intergovernmental transfers. However, in more than 30 countries—including Bolivia, Canada, the DRC, Indonesia, Nigeria and Papua New Guinea—distribution of non-renewable natural resource revenues to subnational authorities is governed by a set of rules that are distinct from those governing distribution of non-resource revenues.

Resource revenue sharing has been promoted as a remedy to the "resource curse" in several conflict-affected states such as Iraq, Libya and Myanmar. But while these systems can promote economic development and help mitigate or even prevent violent conflict in resource-rich regions, they can also impede the transformation of natural resource wealth into wellbeing. In some places, they have exacerbated boom-bust cycles and regional inequalities. Worse, depending on how they have been designed and implemented, they have sometimes intensified violent conflict rather than alleviating it.

With these challenges in mind, the Natural Resource Governance Institute and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are pleased to launch the report “Natural Resource Revenue Sharing.” The report gives an overview of resource revenue sharing mechanisms around the world and provides advice to policymakers establishing or reforming their systems. We invite you to attend a short presentation of the key findings, followed by an informal roundtable discussion. The discussion will focus on whether these systems can help address the "resource curse" and what the international community can do to improve their performance.
Lunch will be provided.



About the presenters:

Andrew Bauer is senior economic analyst at NRGI. He focuses on economic technical assistance and research to improve natural resource revenue management. His work includes advising governments, parliaments and civil society on macroeconomic management, public finance, and governance and accountability mechanisms in the extractives.

Sofi Halling is a policy analyst in UNDP. She is currently working in UNDPs Oslo Governance Centre, with a special focus on developing applicable research and policy advice on Governance of Extractive Industries in regions/countries emerging out of conflict.


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