How Can Myanmar Avoid the Resource Curse?

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, D.C. 20036

A full audiocast of this event is available here.

Myanmar’s abundant natural resources have served as the country’s main export revenue, but have also been a primary driver of conflict in ethnic areas. The launch of Myanmar’s first Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report and related findings on Myanmar’s jade mining and state-owned enterprises make a compelling case for significant reform of this sector. What should the newly elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government do to improve the governance of resource wealth in the country, and how can the international community assist?

A panel of experts including NRGI staffers took part in a 29 June 2016 conversation on the ongoing governance challenges in Myanmar’s extractives industries sector and reform options that can contribute to sustainable, inclusive development in Myanmar. Carnegie’s Vikram Nehru moderated the event.

This event was co-sponsored by the Bank Information Center and NRGI.

Speakers
Jelson Garcia is the director for Asia-Pacific at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) focusing on Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. He is responsible for potential engagement in additional countries such as China and India.

Patrick Heller is the director of legal and economic programs at NRGI, where he focuses on governance and oversight of the oil sector, legislative and contract reform, transparency and the promotion of government-citizen dialogue.

Saw Alex Htoo is a member of the steering committee of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA) through which he serves as one of the civil society representatives at the national-level Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s multi-stakeholder group. He is also the deputy director of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) and the acting director of IFI Watch Myanmar.

Stefanie Ostfeld is the acting head of Global Witness’ U.S. office, where she advocates for increased corporate transparency, closing loopholes in anti-money laundering laws, effective enforcement of anti-bribery and anti-money laundering statutes, and revenue transparency in the oil, gas, and mining sector.

Sudhir Shetty is the World Bank’s chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific Region. Prior to this, he has held several senior management positions in the bank.

Yongzheng Yang is the IMF’s mission chief for Myanmar and a deputy division chief with the Asia and Pacific Department. His prior IMF assignments have been in the Pacific, Africa and Central Asia.

Moderator
Vikram Nehru is a senior associate in the Carnegie Asia Program. His research focuses on Southeast Asia.