Consolidating global governance in nondemocratic countries: Critical reflections on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Kyrgyzstan

This paper reflects critically on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) experience in nondemocratic countries, with special focus on Kyrgyzstan. It examines the functioning of such a form of governance and reflects on its effectiveness in practice. A lack of a consolidated, strategic approach among stakeholders and at times, competing objectives, often compromises the smooth functioning of such global governance initiatives. The paper draws on a combination of participant observation, survey analysis, and feedback from interviews conducted with state officials, civil society members and representatives of business companies.