G8: Now Act on Your Promises

G8 must report back on their plentiful anti-corruption pledges in 2008

Statement on 2007 G8 Communiqué by Cobus de Swardt, Transparency International Managing Director, from G8 Media Centre Kühlungsborn

“The commitments look promising, but now we need to see action.”

“Four of the G8 have yet to ratify the UN Convention against Corruption, including Germany, the host, and the behaviour of G8-based companies abroad continues to be a problem.”

“For this reason, the G8 must report back on the many anti-corruption promises it has made since the 2002 summit at Kananaskis. It is about accountability, the same accountability the G8 demands from its African partners.”

“We are pleased to see that many of our suggestions were incorporated into the Summit’s Communiqué, including:

• ratification of the UN Convention by all G8 members;
• enforcement of the OECD anti-bribery Convention; and
• a commitment to keep G8 financial systems from being used to harbour the proceeds of corruption
• recovery of stolen assets
• technical assistance for developing countries to implement anti-corruption measures.”

“It is also vital that the powers of the G8 state where the money for the implementation of these initiatives is to come from, both within the G8 and in Africa. Without the proper resources, all these promises will be dead on arrival.”

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