Assessing transparency: EITI Validation By the time of the third EITI Global Conference in Oslo in October 2006, the implementing countries (now joined by Niger and Cameroon) were preparing their first EITI reconciliation reports. Azerbaijan had al¬ready produced reports covering revenue from 2003–2005 and Nigeria a report covering 1999–2004. Alongside the production of an EITI Source Book in 2005, which provided guidance on how to produce these reports, the International Advisory Group had sufficient emerging approaches to introduce the EITI Validation Guide, which set out the indicators that implementing countries had to meet in order to become EITI Compliant. The guide was introduced at the Oslo conference, effectively marking the end of the beginning for the EITI. The guide also included for the first time a formal process to sign-up to become an EITI “Candidate” country.