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Anti-Corruption Day 2013: as it happened

It’s morning in Rome, and commuters are heading to the tube station on their way to work. Today, there’s some special entertainment in store for them – a short video with a catchy tune and a clear message: it’s time to wake up to corruption. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the Dominican Republic, crowds […]

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Defence: why it’s vital for countries to walk the anti-corruption talk

It is not just enough to talk about fighting corruption or even to sign an international convention outlawing it; it’s actions that count. But recent scandals in the defence sector show that, for some countries, the ride ahead is still very long and bumpy. Take, for example, the recent developments in the AgustaWestland scandal, in […]

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CPI 2013: A glimmer of hope in Greece?

As the European political and economic crisis enters its fifth year, there are few signs of optimism. The results of the 2013 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the region are no exception. The story in general is one of stagnation: there are more than 27 million unemployed in the EU – a figure that continues […]

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Are UK organisations merely paying lip service to whistleblowing?

This year whistleblowing has been the media’s darling, dominating headlines around the world. Secretive governments, irresponsible banks, crooked businesses and unsafe healthcare have come under the spotlight thanks to workers finding the courage to speak up about wrongdoing. Public inquiries into scandals have recommended better whistleblowing arrangements as a means to combat corruption and abuse. In […]

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Youth photo winner: corruption, toxic waste and the power of photography

Just one image can tell a story, says Sony Ramany, winner of our 20th anniversary youth photo competition – and these stories have the power to spark real change. “We need to show images of suffering and hardships,” he says, “so that people can see the truth”. A photographer from one of Bangladesh’s leading English-language newspapers, […]

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Hungary’s whistleblower law offers no real protection

Since a new government came to power in 2010, Hungary has witnessed the emergence of new patterns and forms of corruption. The symbiotic relationship between the government and powerful business groups has deepened. Many oversight institutions have become less independent. Government decision-making lacks transparency, as private interests have captured the legislative process. As a result, […]

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Whistleblowers: regulators of last resort

Over the past half-century, national governments have developed complex regulatory structures to oversee public health, banking, utilities, food safety, communications, transportation and other industries. By the 1980s, however, the United States and United Kingdom began pushing the policy pendulum in the other direction – deregulating industries sector by sector. Through international organisations, governments around the […]

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Leaks, press freedom and state surveillance: is this our fight?

Ever since the Wikileaks debate came to the fore, I have been wondering to what extent we, as Transparency International, should be taking a stand on the issue of Wikileaks, and what that stand should be. On the one hand we stand for transparency, principally because we are an anti-corruption organisation and transparency is one […]

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Transparent Education wins lawsuit against Hungary’s biggest university

According to a 21 October ruling, Hungary’s largest university – Eötvös Loránd (ELTE) – is being ordered to release the names of student union members in the law faculty who received “public service scholarships” and bonus payments for participating in the student government. This groundbreaking ruling comes in the wake of a freedom of information […]

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Spain’s new law on transparency a good first step

After a summer of corruption scandals in Spanish politics, the country’s Congress passed a new piece of legislation on transparency and access to information this September. Public tolerance for corruption had reached boiling point with companies, parties and even the royal family seemingly acting with impunity after graft allegations. The new legislation is now headed […]

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