Definitions The definition of ‘corruption’ which is used by Transparency International is as follows:
‘The abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.’1 ‘Grand corruption’ is defined as ‘Acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good.’ 2 ‘Petty corruption’ is defined as ‘Everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- and mid-level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police departments and other agencies.’3 ‘Political corruption’ is defined as ‘Manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status and wealth.’4
Objectives The key objectives of the National Integrity System-Curaçao assessment are to generate:5
an improved understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Curaçao’s National Integrity System within the anti-corruption community and beyond momentum among key anti-corruption stakeholders in Curaçao for addressing priority areas in the National Integrity System
The primary aim of the assessment is therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of Curaçao’s institutions in preventing and fighting corruption and in fostering transparency and integrity. In addition, it seeks to promote the assessment process as a springboard for action among the government and anti-corruption community in terms of policy reform, evidence-based advocacy or further in-depth evaluations of specific governance issues. This assessment should serve as a basis for key stakeholders in Curaçao to advocate for sustainable and effective reform.
Methodology In Transparency International’s methodology, the National Integrity System is formed by 13 pillars representing all key public and private institutions in a country’s governance system. In the Curaçao assessment, to pay due attention to the importance of the financial sector in the country’s governance system, it was decided to add an additional pillar, ‘Supervisory institutions private sector’ (pillar 9, see below), in order to consider specifically the supervision of the financial integrity of the private sector.
1
The Anti-Corruption Plain Language Guide, Transparency International, 2009, p.14. http://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/pub/the_anti_corruption_plain_language_guide [accessed 21 December 2012]. 2 Ibid., p.23. 3 Ibid., p.33. 4 Ibid. p.35. 5 Call for proposals: National Integrity System (NIS) assessment lead researcher in Curaçao, 2012, http://www.transparency.org/whoweare/work [accessed 4 May 2012]. 6
NATIONAL INTEGRITY SYSTEM ASSESSMENT CURAÇAO