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Asset recovery: where are we now?

One of the big topics at this week’s Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is asset recovery. Delegates will discuss what more needs to be done – and there is a great deal — to speed up the return of stolen assets to their rightful owners and where UNCAC fits […]

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After peaceful elections Ivory Coast must build on its commitments to fight corruption

On 25 October Ivory Coast went peacefully to the polls in the first election since bloody violence erupted in the aftermath of the 2010 presidential election. The incumbent Alassane Ouattara will remain in power. Our main concern is that any new government understands that to maintain stability it must strengthen the institutions that provide security, […]

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New milestone in fight against global corruption

On 25 September 2015, the world’s leaders assembled at the UN in New York and made a historic statement in approving 17 key objectives to focus actions across the globe to bring the core strengths of our civilisation to its real potential. The UN General Assembly adopted new global goals, the “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” […]

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Fighting corruption in Greece must be a priority

Greece now has a new government, its fourth in six years. One of the returning Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ priorities remains constant: to fight of corruption. Previous incarnations of this government had appointed a minister to strengthen this fight. This was definitely a good move but it did not deliver. The previous minister of state […]

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World Bank adopts key Transparency International goals in new procurement policies

The World Bank funds 1,800 procurement projects to the tune of US$42 billion in 172 countries, often in challenging environments. It is therefore important to have strong measures to counter corruption. Last week, the Bank announced a new procurement framework that includes many of the recommendations and suggestions Transparency International and Transparency International USA have […]

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Berlusconi’s latest corruption conviction: integrity for sale

Last week a Naples court sentenced Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to three years in prison for corrupting the political process by bribing a politician for his vote. Valter Lavitola, his “fixer” in this act, was also convicted. Neither will serve time. This was only the first court decision and both men have the […]

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Anti-Corruption Cards: Cambodia’s new craze

Transparency International Cambodia recently launched its Anti-Corruption Cards that offer shopping discounts to citizens who sign up to the Declaration Against Corruption.   So far more than 8,000 people in the capital Phnom Penh and provinces have received their cards, entitling them to savings of up to 60 per cent at a variety of shops […]

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Know your contractors: transparent ownership reduces corruption

Procurement is at the heart of the work that the World Bank and other international development banks do. Countries borrow from these multilateral organisations to develop the public works and services their citizens need: such as healthcare, education, sanitation and infrastructure. Through public procurement, countries use the borrowed funds to acquire expertise, labour and supplies […]

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Georgia: protect the messengers who protect citizens’ rights

In the past year there have been a number of high-profile verbal attacks on the leaders of civil society organisations in Georgia who take issue with some of what the government is doing. Rather than trying to undermine the messengers, the government should listen to the concerns they represent. In January a former prime minister […]

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UK company transparency: one less place to hide

It’s finally happened. UK legislation requiring the true owners of UK companies to be made public, received the final sign off in Parliament last week. Under the new law, UK-registered companies must submit information on their true owners – such as full name and nationality – to Companies House which up until now has not […]

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