In January 2007, Transparency International published the Handbook for Curbing Corruption in Public Procurement. Featuring case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan, the Handbook provides an overview of the problem of corruption in public contracting and offers practical suggestions for action. Intended as a hands-on guide for civil society and local governments, the Handbook is also a useful resource for those in the private sector working in procurement, such as bidders, suppliers, contractors and consultants. It is also available in Bahasa.

For more information and to download the publication, please see: www.transparency.org/regional_pages/asia_pacific#infocus

In January 2007,Transparencia Mexicana, TI’s national chapter in Mexico, launched a new website to provide information on all anti-corruption conventions ratified by the Mexican government, including the Organisation of American States Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Anti-Corruption Convention. Particular emphasis is given to the channels for civil society’s participation and the results obtained to date. For more information please visit: www.anticorrupcion.org.mx.

The Americas regional department at Transparency International (TI) secretariat has been working to help support a stronger civil society contribution to the Follow Up Mechanism of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. The second round of follow up provides a chance to assess the implementation of the Convention by countries. TI has provided funds for some national chapters to carry out educational workshops on the Convention and the Follow-up Mechanism in their countries. TI’s chapter in Panama, Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Libertad Ciudadana, and TI´s contact in the Dominican Republic, Participación Ciudadana, both hosted workshops in their countries in January 2006.

The Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS), in conjunction with the TI secretariat organised and hosted the Kuwait Transparency Conference 15 -16 January, to build on momentum in Kuwait and the region to fight corruption, following on Kuwait’s recent UNCAC ratification the Conference of States Parties.

Conference participants included a wide audience of Kuwaiti civil society, parliament, private sector and government, and the sessions covered the UN Convention, access to information, national anti-corruption strategies and public-private partnerships. The conference was under the auspices of His Highness, The Emir of Kuwait, and speakers came from Hong Kong, Pakistan, UK, South Africa, Nigeria, the TI chapters in Middle East and North Africa and the TI secretariat.

In conjunction, KTS invited Prof. Johann Graf Lambsdorff to give a workshop on the methodology of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Following the conference, KTS and TI signed a “National Chapter Promotion Agreement”, recognising the association as the TI National Contact in Kuwait. More on KTS can be found at: www.shafafeyah.org/arabic/index.php.

Transparency International (TI) and its national chapter in the Philippines (TI Philippines) released the NIS study on the Philippines in January 2007, as part of a regional project to analyse the National Integrity Systems (NIS) of nine countries in East and Southeast Asia. The study found that a lack of prosecutions, convictions and enforcement by the authorities persists. Key suggestions include a review of constitutional law, particularly in areas concerning appointments and the excessive power of the executive, strengthening institutional restraints against political interventions, building capacity within institutions, supporting demand for adherence to democratic principles in the public domain, ensuring independence and fiscal autonomy of accountability bodies, and promoting moral standards and ethical values. As an immediate follow-up measure to the study’s release, TI Philippines aims to conduct an assessment forum and bring together stakeholders interested in pursuing reasonable implementation of the recommendations in the NIS study.

Transparency International (TI) and TI Japan released the NIS study on Japan in January 2007, also as part of the regional project to analyse the National Integrity Systems (NIS) of nine countries in East and Southeast Asia. The study both praises the positive impacts of reform programmes implemented by the Japanese government in the past 10 years, as well as highlighting certain issues such as corruption in political finance, and practices including amakudari (golden parachuting) and dango (bid-rigging) that need to be urgently addressed. The top three priority areas identified were strengthening enforcement capability, taking a corruption-type-specific approach, and increasing disclosure of information. The study can be downloaded by clicking here.

The Integrity Department of Taipei Municipal Government (IPTMG) in Taiwan put ethics and good governance high on the country’s agenda with a series of activities in 2006. Taipei Municipal Government has co-operated with TI’s chapter in Taiwan, Transparency Taiwan and the Community Universities in Taipei to promote a series of ethical curricula for more than one year. To mark the UN Anti-Corruption Day 2006, an exhibition on Good Governance and Ethical Society and a workshop on Improving Health Sector Ethics were organised and IPTMG signed a pledge with the Education Bureau of Taipei for further cooperation in community education.

In January 2007, Bahrain’s Tender Board –established to provide oversight in awarding government contracts and purchases, and to promote transparency and equal opportunities among bidders – hosted its first meeting with new members. Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and Board Chief, Dr Abdulhussain Mirza, hosted the meeting, welcoming the new members and paying tribute to outgoing members for their service. In the context of the meeting, the Minister also received TI Chief Executive David Nussbaum and Dr Jassim Al Ajmi, Chairman of TI’s chapter in Bahrain, Bahrain Transparency Society.

Following the launch of Al-Hares Puppet Show at Al-Kasaba in December 2006, TI’s national chapter in the Palestine Authorities (AMAN) organised another 19 puppet shows targeting around 3,500 children at private schools in Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jerusalem. Al-Hares is a puppet show based on a short story that conveys lessons of integrity and accountability for kids and tackles issues of corruption, nepotism, and favouritism in Palestinian society and represents an innovative way of using drama to help kids understand corruption.

In December 2006, TI-Kenya organised a successful youth forum in collaboration with the National Youth Empowerment Council (NYEC), a university student organisation, Youth Action Against Corruption, an Africa Youth Parliament (AYP) initiative, and Kenya Youth Education and Community Development Programme (KYCEP) to stimulate dialogue on governance issues among youth. The forum emphasized the role youth can play in demanding accountability from their government. More forums are planned for 2007.

Transparency International United Kingdom (TI UK) has organised a discussion centred on addressing this question, with speakers from TI UK and the UK government. This discussion is motivated by the termination of the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the affairs of BAE Systems as they relate to the UK-Saudi Al Yamamah defence contract. The discussion will address the UK’s commitment to fight international corruption, and as well as more specific concerns including the independent enforcement of the rule of law, the role of the Attorney General, the UK’s commitment to enforce the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the future of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, and finally the impact of strategic aspects of UK- Saudi relations. Please click here to read TI’s press statement on this issue.

The Promoting Revenue Transparency Project hosted a working-group meeting in London on 30 January, to discuss the methodology of the Companies’ Report, a report that actively involves companies in the different phases of the project through input and feedback mechanisms. Transparency International (TI) is leading the Revenue Transparency Project in partnership with the Revenue Watch Institute. It aims at bringing transparency to oil, gas and mining revenues by providing robust standards and measurements of progress in implementing practices leading to more transparency and accountability for companies and governments engaged in the extractive industries. In the context of this project, TI will produce a set of reports to measure revenue transparency policies and the performance of governments and companies in the oil, gas and mining industries.