Cobus de Swardt

About Cobus de Swardt

Cobus de Swardt is the Managing Director of Transparency International. From May 2004 to May 2007 Cobus de Swardt was Director for Global Programmes at Transparency International (TI). Cobus de Swardt is a South African sociologist whose work experience spans the fields of globalisation, development policy, international relations and multinational business management. During the 1980s and early 1990s he was active in the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa chairing the ANC in Cape Town.
Author Archive | Cobus de Swardt

The Arab Spring: one year on – part two

30 December 2011 in Accountability, Africa and Middle East, Anti-corruption movement, Human rights, People power

The following is an excerpt from an article published by the Huffington Post. A year ago, Tunisians were in the process of bringing down a corrupt leader. It all started on 17 December 2010 when Tunisian fruit-seller Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire outside the building of the local officials who had abused him. With […]

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Accountability is a vital weapon in the battle against climate change

8 December 2011 in Accountability, Aid, Climate Change, Lobbying, Poverty and development, Water

All too often, climate finance initiatives are hampered by waste and corruption. More accountability is needed, argues Cobus de Swardt, Transparency International’s Managing Director. This article was originally published in The Guardian.  World leaders meeting for this year’s climate conference in Durban will be under pressure to pool enough new funds to protect people from […]

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Corruption: a crime against society

18 July 2011 in Accountability, Africa and Middle East, Anti-corruption Conventions, Anti-corruption movement, Europe and Central Asia, Financial Markets, G20

The following is an excerpt from the collected papers of the Rencontres Economiques d’Aix-en-Provence 2011. Read the full article here. Corruption is often thought of as an economic or “white collar crime”. That ignores the greater implications of corruption, the abuse of power at the expense of the many, which perpetuates social injustice and the […]

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Cobus de Swardt speaking

The 1989 effect: Accountability driving demands for change

6 May 2011 in Accountability, Africa and Middle East, Human rights, People power

Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director of TI, writes from Cape Town where he is attending the Africa regional meeting of the World Economic Forum At WEF Davos in January, the beginning of the revolution in North Africa was on everybody’s lips. Four months on in Cape Town, you can see from the ideas being put […]

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