Latest News You can keep up to date with the latest corruption news by visiting the TI-UK Newsroom: www.transparency.org.uk/news-room or by signing up for TI’s Daily Corruption News
The year in review
2015 represented a year of significant shift in the world of anti-corruption, as political will to fight corruption emerged world-round. Will 2016 be the year where promises previously made are turned into action? Read more...
Don’t punish people twice over
Following the release of the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index, Robert Barrington debunked myths about aid and made the argument that by refusing to send aid to the people of corrupt countries punishes them twice over. Read more…
Don’t Look, Won’t Find: Corrupt Money in the UK
Following the release of Don’t Look, Won’t Find, TI-UK argues that radical overhaul of the UK’s AML (Anti-Money Laundering) system is needed if the UK is to close the door to the billions of pounds of corrupt money that flows into the country every year. Read more...
Lobbying transparency: MSPs have the chance to show Westminster how it’s done After three years of waiting, the Scottish Parliament debated whether lobbying in Edinburgh should be open to greater scrutiny. Read more…
Q&A With New Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Director Sophie Peresson
TI-UK sat down with the new Director of the Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme to see what drew her to the position and where she wants to take the Programme. Read more...
20 Years of Tackling Corruption
Robert Barrington discusses the trends that have emerged over the past twenty years of anti-corruption research – including how advanced economies seem to ‘get off lightly’, and how global financial centres such as London are complicit in grand corruption. He also highlights TI-UK’s #TransparencyMatters campaign. Read more...
Top Ten Stories
Our selection of ten interesting articles or reports about corruption published during the past quarter:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Reuters │ Inadequate dirty money regulation 'leaves UK open to terror funds' - report Financial Times │Anti-corruption campaigners furious as Government considers softening Bribery Act The Guardian │ UK money-laundering checks inadequate, says anti-corruption group The Guardian │Barclays fined £72m over 'elephant deal' Financial Times │ Cayman Islands reject Cameron’s tax offensive The Telegraph │The key to peace after Isil: ending Middle East corruption Financial Times │UK companies urged to improve lobbying transparency Daily Mail │ 'Britain launders billions every year for foreign crooks because deterrents are so woefully inadequate', claims corruption watchdog The Telegraph │ A corrupt government shouldn't stop us sending aid - it should be our reason for doing so The Independent │Does Britain deserve its top 10 ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index? Cover Image: iStock.com/Jan-Otto
#TRANSPARENCYMATTERS Since launching last September, TI-UK has continued to promote our #TransparencyMatters campaign. #TransparencyMatters is all about the importance of transparency in the fight against corruption and the effect it has on our everyday lives. Starting with lobbying, #TransparencyMatters will make the link between activities at the top and the wide-ranging issues that affect us all. From saving the bees to airport expansion, fracking to healthcare, local planning to airport expansion, we want to hear from anyone who has a story tell about why #TransparencyMatters in your life, profession or grassroots campaigning. Check out our #TransparencyMatters campaign video here Please share our video and continue to send us your stories. We’ll select the best and publish them on transparencymatters.transparency.org.uk
Government Anti-Corruption Index (GI) Regional Results: Asia Pacific, G20, NATO and Africa Since November the Defence and Security Programme released four GI reports: Asia Pacific, G20, NATO and Africa. Asia Pacific: Growing military capability is accompanied by high levels of secrecy, and low levels of accountability, oversight and transparency. Six of the seventeen states assessed in the index receive either E or F grade. Africa: All 47 states assessed in the index receive either D, E or F grades, representing a ”high”, “very high” or “critical” risk of defence corruption. G20: Over half of G20 countries lack adequate checks and balances over their military forces, posing a threat to international stability. Eight of the G20 states assessed in the index received either D or E grade. NATO: NATO members and partner countries are at high risk for corruption in their overseas operations. The overall risk to defence corruption was moderate (C) overall, TI-DSP found NATO member and partner states had surprising high levels of vulnerabilities across their operations—scoring a ‘D’ on average.
TI-UK Programme News The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed their support for a Defence Corruption Monitoring Committee in Ukraine, a significant grant for our Defence and Security Program. Working closely with TI Ukraine, we will set up a civil society oversight body to monitor and provide input to defence anticorruption reform, and advocate for transparency in security assistance. The past three months have been busy for the Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme. The new Director, Sophie Peresson, joined the Programme and is in the process of developing the five-year strategy. The team completed a number of its UK-focused projects, including a Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Companies Anti-Corruption Index pilot, and has initiated three projects abroad in Honduras, Nepal and Slovakia. In March, the Business Integrity Programme is launching Doing Good without Bribery, an e-learning programme for NGOs and organisations involved in international development. Also this quarter, together with TI-USA, the Programme is planning to publish a guidance for companies on managing third party bribery and corruption risks. The guidance will be a practical document helping companies to assess and manage the risks associated with agents, intermediaries, contractors and suppliers.
UK Advocacy and Research launched its latest report, arguing that the UK’s anti-money laundering system is “not fit for purpose” and requires “radical overhaul”. Don’t Look, Won’t Find assessed the weaknesses in the UK’s anti-money laundering regulations, finding major systematic failings. The report will be followed by a capstone overview publication in March, summarising the recommendations from all publications in the Corrupt Capital series, including Corruption on Your Doorstep, Gold Rush and Unexplained Wealth Orders. Ahead of the 2016 Global Anti-Corruption Summit, TI-UK has a team coordinating policy and advocacy priorities across the international movement and with other civil society organisations to ensure the Summit is as ambitious and effective as possible.
News from the TI Movement Transparency International and its Middle East and North Africa chapters and partners recently stated that the lack of final and enforceable sentences from national courts against the people involved in stealing assets has greatly slowed the return of these assets. The Honduran government announced the creation of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity (MACCIH), an international body backed by the Organisation of American States. Its mandate is to investigate and prosecute criminal activities in the country’s political, judicial and security systems as well as to provide advice and oversight to national institutions. The Movement opened the voting phase of its Unmask the Corrupt campaign to highlight the most symbolic cases of grand corruption. Tl will now look at the cases that have received the most votes and will openly discuss with all how the corrupt should be punished. Transparency International released its 21st annual Corruption Perceptions Index on Wednesday, 27 January 2016 at 5am Berlin time. The Corruption Perceptions Index is the leading global indicator of public sector corruption, offering a yearly snapshot of the relative degree of corruption by ranking countries from all over the globe.
Recent Publications Don’t Look, Won’t Find: Weaknesses in the Supervision of the UK’s Anti-Money Laundering Rules (November 2015) Radical overhaul of the UK’s anti-money laundering system is needed, if the UK is to close the door to the billions of pounds in corrupt money coming into the country every year. Read and Download here.
Corporate Political Engagement Index 2015: Assessing the UK’s Largest Public Companies (December 2015) Transparency International UK’s Corporate Political Engagement Index assesses the public reporting practices of the 40 largest companies in the FTSE 100 Index in relation to their political engagement. Read and Download here.
Wise Counsel or Dark Arts? Principles and Guidance for Responsible Corporate Political Engagement (December 2015) This publication provides practical advice on addressing the challenges of managing political engagement. It is also designed to assist those who may wish to refer to a TI position when forming their own approach and decisions. . Read and Download here.
Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index: Regional Results Africa (January 2016) The report assesses 47 countries in Africa – evaluating them on the risk of corruption within their defence and security institutions. All 47 states assessed in the index receive either D, E or F grades, representing a ”high”, “very high” or “critical” risk of defence corruption. Read and Download all 2015 Government Indices here.
Dates for Your Diary Full details of all our events, including external speaking engagements, can be found at www.transparency.org.uk /events Time / Date: 18:30 -21:30 23 February 2016 Location: Kia Oval Kennington, London SE11 5SS Details
Time / Date: 18:00 – 20:00 09 March 2016 Location: Norton Rose Fulbright 3 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AQ Details
Support Transparency International UK Thank you for your continued support and partnership in the fight against corruption. To keep abreast of TI-UK’s perspective on developments through our news releases, blog posts and publications, please visit our website www.transparency.org.uk If you would like to become a member or supporter, or renew your existing membership, please contact Claire Prescott at claire.prescott@transparency.org.uk or on + 44 (0)20 7922 7906, or go online at http://www.transparency.org.uk/get-involved/join-us. We are particularly keen to recruit more Life Members, who make a donation of £1,000. Thank you for your support! Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to receive daily updates from TI-UK.
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