Mission, Vision, Objectives and Organisational History

Mission

The mission of MATA is ensure the participation of citizens and civil society and the incorporation of the principles of transparency and accountability in the development and implementation of policies, laws and guidelines in Myanmar. 

Vision

The vision of MATA is that civil society efforts for transparency and accountability lead to a sustainable federal democracy in Myanmar. 

Objectives

MATA will try very hard to achieve the following objectives for the success of its goals:

1. Full transparency, responsibility and accountability in natural resource governance;
2. Increase CSO’s participation in nation building and the overall legal reform process;
3. Improve public participation in decision making process of natural resources governance, especially the revenue and resource governance in national and sub-national level;
4. Promotion of human resources and environmental protection;
5. Improved CSOs participation in collaboration with key stakeholders to fight against the corruption;
6. Capacity building and empowerment of civil society organizations and the communities for public participation in natural resource management; and
7. Promotion of broad communication and cooperation mechanism and access to information.

Organisational History

The Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability is a national network comprised of over 450 civil society actors and individuals from all of Myanmar’s 14 states and regions. MATA supports members to collaboratively examine economic, political and social reform issues and to advocate for transparency and accountability of governance in Myanmar – with a focus on extractive industries.

MATA was formed during 2013 amid heightened civil society activity around the EITI mechanism. A number of civil society actors had focused on EITI before 2013 however the alliance formed a critical mass following a commitment from the President of Myanmar to join EITI. In October 2013, a core group of civil society actors collaboratively organised an EITI National Conference of CSOs. These groups formed MATA – then named the Myanmar Coalition 4 Transparency; subsequently changed to reflect a focus on accountability issues. A Conference output was a CSO Statement expressing the terms upon which civil society would engage with the EITI process: as a product of extensive negotiations among CSOs, this statement set the standards of inclusiveness and collaboration that MATA was to follow.

In early 2014, MATA was formed as an independent Myanmar NGO with support from multiple donors to support civil society coordination and engagement with transparency and accountability in governance, including mechanisms beyond EITI. An initial focus on coordinating networks has grown to encompass targeted research activities to inform the development and sharing of evidence-based policy alternatives.

Key achievements of MATA (2013 to 2015)

In 2013, an inclusive process was initiated to ensure that civil society representatives were elected for EITI’s MSG to represent broad interests from across the country. Related achievements since include:

By March 2014, civil society working groups in each state and region finalised the selection of representatives to participate in the national steering group where they join civil society MSG representatives to make decisions collectively;

• State and regional workshops were held to select 15 up to 30 persons for their respective working groups;
• In addition, one representative out of the five was selected as focal person for the state or region. They serve as a member of MATA Steering Committee comprised of 9 Civil Society MSG representatives of EITI and 14 focal persons from the states and regions;
• The MATA Steering Committee is a decision making body that supports the MSG to work effectively on decision making processes and other matters as well as MATA’s strategy/policy area;
• Nine civil society representatives for EITI MSG were officially nominated as MSG members for one term.
• MATA involved in ASEAN people forum, Myanmar Civil Society Forum, ASEAN Extractive Industry framework Conference and FLEGT National Consultation events in Myanmar by taking role of organizer, facilitator and coordinator.
• MATA had done with the bi-lateral coordination meeting with the private sectors especially for mining association.
• MATA also had done series of trainings on natural resources governance, anti-corruption, budget transparency and other specific extractive industry like contract transparency, sub-national formation unit.
• The specific conflict between the company and local community case from Shan state was submitted to the ministry and action was taken to the related company.

During 2014 to 2015,

• MATA has been organized the meeting between Ethnic Armed Organizations, civil society organizations which are based in border area and MATA network members organizations which are focused on natural resources issues at the ground.
• MATA members in Shan, Kayah and Karen state has been provided paralegal training to the local community related with extractive sector such as Myanmar Mining law, Tax Law and Environmental Conservation law and established the watch groups to monitoring the extractive business in the local area.
• MATA community watch groups are collecting data to respond local resource governance issues in dealing with regional or state level government.
• MATA steering committee members are meeting with Ministry of Mine (MOM) regularly (2 months per time) in order to respond local illegal mining issues in the regions.
• Moreover, MATA has submitted its consultation results which is consultation with local community’s view and perspectives how current Myanmar Mining law are not reinforcement at the ground in Kayah, Karean and Shan state.
• MATA has organized press conferences to raise public interests on environmental law, Myanmar Mining law and how civil society is playing their role in Myanmar EITI process in 2015 and it could help to improve public interest on natural resources issues and to encourage more public participation in the resources governance issues.
• MATA members did community consultation regarding with Hand Drill Bill which are affecting local community negatively and might be create more corruption in between townships and district level authorities and companies. Thus, MATA members requested Ahmyothar Hluttaw Bill Committee and submitted consultation results of draft law. Finally, Bill Committee of Upper House (Ahmyothar Hluttaw) rejected the law and Ministry of Energy has to re-write the law.
• MATA also has organized its national forum in Aug-2015 that all of MATA network  members organizations to be more aware and understand about how natural resources  issues are important in relation with Rights, Democracy, Peace and Sustainable Development in Myanmar as resource rich country which has diverse ethnic background.
• MATA is now developing its institutional capacity by consulting and discussing with relevant experts such as developed HR and Finance policy with process based formation.
• At the moment, MATA is trying new letters (3 month per letter) regularly.