Zambia is a mineral-rich country and the second largest cop­per producer in Africa. While natural resource ex­traction has contributed to the economic development of the country, unfortunately those revenues haven’t yet translated to improved public services. A lack of transparency and accountability in the Extractive Industries sector has undermined Zambia’s ability to mobilize domestic resources for the benefit of its citizens.

In response to these concerns, Counterpart’s Fostering Accountability and Transparency Program – with generous funding by the U.S. Agency for International Development – launched a new initiative in late 2018 to support the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, or ZEITI. In partnership with the government, private sector, civil society, and local leaders, the FACT team is working to increase accountability and transparency within Zambia’s mining sector. Through media outreach, public events, and other methods, our team will share key messages with important stakeholders, emphasizing that mining information must be shared with all citizens, community involvement in decision making is critical for responsive development, mining taxes must translate into schools, hospitals, roads and clean water for communities, and more. Additional information about Counterpart’s EITI initiative can be found in this video.