On 3 December, Transparency International Latin America and Caribbean (TILAC) launched the Spanish edition of the 2007 edition of the TI Global Corruption Report during the ‘Week against Corruption’ celebrations in El Salvador. The report offers an annual, systematic analysis of corruption, reporting on the state of corruption around the globe. The GCR 2007 focuses on corruption in judicial systems and includes recommendations for practitioners, and actors in the judiciary and civil society, on how to fight corruption in the sector. The Spanish edition of the report includes country analyses for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Spain.

According to a new study developed by TI in 2007, political party and election campaign financing is a murky field in eight Latin American countries. Launched in Spanish in June 2007, the study found deep flaws in the rules and practices governing transparency and accountability in party and campaign financing systems in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru – the countries covered by the study. The main problems include: a lack of oversight for private donations, low candidate accountability and unreliable party data. These shortcomings are in addition to the fact that political financing information is not made public in most of the countries studied. For more information please click here.

The Press and Society Institute (IPYS) and TILAC launched the 6th edition of the only Latin American award aimed at promoting investigative journalism on corruption. Funded by the Open Society Institute, the US $25,000 prize will be awarded to the best investigative report on corruption published in Latin American or Caribbean media. A further two awards, worth US $5,000 each, will be given for valuable investigative works. To be eligible, reports must have been published between 1 January and 31 December 2007. The deadline for sending the reports (print, TV/broadcast, radio or electronic media) is 30 March 2008. The jury will meet in June 2008. For further information about applications please click here.

One year after signing the “Guatemala Declaration for a Corruption-Free Region”, the first follow up meeting was held in Guatemala City in December. TI national chapters and contact groups in Central America and the Dominican Republic met with government representatives from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama to assess to what extent the Declaration has been implemented. Although further efforts are needed, the participants ratified the importance of this political instrument as a complement to international conventions and national anti-corruption initiatives. A formal follow-up mechanism for the Declaration was discussed and will be established. The assessment reports presented by TI and the government during the meeting are available here.

The TI national chapter in Malaysia welcomes and supports the new guidelines introduced by Malaysia’s National Audit Department. The national chapter also submitted a set of proposals on how to further improve the initiative, recommending for the rating systems to be undertaken yearly, rather than every three years. The aim of the guidelines introduced is to ensure that government officials, entrusted with making investments with public funds, follow new guidelines on accountability and have the necessary credentials. The new directive also requires that members of committees responsible for government tenders should be qualified and present during all meetings to ensure procedures are correctly followed before a final decision is made. It also entails the introduction of an ‘Accountability Index’ rating system, which consists of four performance rankings, ranging from "poor" to a "four star excellent". The index will be applicable for the participating government ministries, government agencies and statutory bodies, and local authorities.

Coinciding with International Anti-corruption Day on 9 December, the TI chapter in Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) launched its ‘Anti-corruption Crusade’. The campaign, which aims to interact with communities in the country and garner support for TI PNG’s fight against corruption, marks the 10th anniversary of the national chapter. As part of the campaign, members of the board of directors took part in forums across the country, organised by the Chamber of Commerce. The main event, which took place in the capital city Port Moresby, involved a discussion between a panel of experts and interested members of the public on issues of national significance, with an emphasis on the theme “Fighting corruption as a means to alleviate poverty”.

TI Sri Lanka published a statement on aid funds received following the 2004 tsunami. According to TI Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan government has failed to account for as much as 44 percent of the international aid it has received. Figures up to March 2007 detail that the international community, including governments, multilateral institutions and civil society organisations, had pledged Sri Lankan Rs.241 billion (US $2.2 billion), out of which Rs.122 billion (US $1.1 billion) were disbursed. Of the disbursed amount, Rs.68.5 billion (US $625 million) was spent. TI Sri Lanka calls for a special review of the tsunami expenditure by the country's auditor general and for the appointment of a separate committee by the public accounts committee of parliament to investigate the spending.

For more information see TI Sri-Lanka's press release here.

Mr. Chadli Hamza, a member of the Algerian TI national chapter, the Association Algérienne de lutte contre la corruption (AACC), was killed in the car bomb attack on the United Nations (UN) offices in Algiers on 11 December 2007. The UN building was the target of one of two bombs in the Algerian capital that left more than ten dead. Mr. Hamza was a brilliant economist, working as an expert for the AACC, and a consultant for the UN Development Programme. TI would like to express its most sincere condolences to Mr Hamza’s family and his colleagues at the AACC.

The TI chapter in the Palestinian Authorities, the AMAN coalition, launched a draft National Action Plan against Corruption for the Palestinian institutions during its annual conference in December to mark International Anti-corruption Day. The plan is based on the principles and goals of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The conference was attended by Prime Minister Dr Salam Fayyad and was held at the Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah. Video conference technology was employed to connect with Gaza. Other participants included representatives of the international community, the private and public sectors, political parties and civil institutions. The prime minister announced that “starting next year, 2008, the Ministry of Finance will resume releasing detailed reports about the Palestinian treasury on a monthly basis." He also promised that new measures will be taken in the management department that will ensure transparent handling of public funds. For more information please click here.

In November, the TI national chapter in Armenia, the Center for Regional Development (CRD/TI), with the support of the British Embassy in Yerevan, initiated a project “My Question to Future President”. Part of the project involved a student competition, in which high school students from Armenia’s major cities each addressed one question to the future President of Armenia. In total, 411 high school students from 57 schools expressed willingness to participate in the contest. Through a two-stage selection process 21 students were chosen to participate for the first time ever in a series of television programmes with the presidential candidates.

In January, CRD/TI finished shooting the television show on the threshold of the upcoming presidential elections. Six of the nine nominated candidates accepted CRD/TI's invitation to participate in the show. Students’ questions covered social, political, human rights, gender, security, environmental and other issues. The programme will be aired during the pre-election campaign from 11-17 February.

Since 2007, the Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiative Transparency International Russia, has been implementing its project: Curbing Political Corruption: Monitoring the Use of Public Resources in Electoral Campaigns - Russian Federal Elections - 2007-2008. The main purpose of the project is to contribute to deterring political corruption during electoral periods in Russia with a focus on the abuse of public and state resources for electoral purposes.

The first phase of the project, which commenced in 2007, focused on monitoring the 4 December parliamentary elections. The project team found that significant levels of institutional administrative resources were used in favour of the United Russia party, in addition to the party having a high level of media dominance. There was also a significant number of reported and documented cases of voters being pressurised - especially in the state and municipal institutions, universities, and social services.

In the report, the project team included a number of cases related to the use of budget, which were used to promote ruling and state supported parties, such as the construction of sport centres, renovation of municipal housing and municipal rounds. The project will continue until the presidential elections in March and the complete final report will be published in May.

On 17 December, Michael Wiehen, Individual Member of TI and former chairperson of the TI Deutschland e.V. board, received the German Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon (Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande). Michael Wiehen was honoured for his merits in fighting corruption on a national and international level. He used the opportunity to urge the German parliament to take the necessary steps for ratifying the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Mr Wiehen has worked at the World Bank in Washington D.C. for more than 30 years.

On 12 December, the TI national chapter in Hungary launched a new National Integrity System (NIS) Country Study for Hungary in Budapest. TI Hungary highlighted that corrupt behaviour is often tolerated in Hungary by both society and the institutional system, and that due to a lack of political will, the corruption situation in Hungary has not improved in recent years. A number of key recommendations to effectively combat corruption were presented at the launch. TI Hungary pushed for urgent legislative amendments to address both a lack of transparency in party financing, as well as irregularities in the public procurement system. In addition, the enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act and the strengthening of law enforcement agencies’ work, were seen as essential measures in tackling corruption effectively.

Speakers at the launch event included Miklos Marschall, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at TI; Peter Hack, Professor at ELTE University; and Akos Peter Bod, former President of the Central Bank. They addressed a broad group of stakeholders, including key government representatives, ambassadors and other members of civil society. The event received extensive print and TV media coverage. The NIS Hungary Country Report and its summary are available in both Hungarian and English. All documents can be found online on TI Hungary’s website, as well as the central TI NIS Study web page.

To mark Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, TI national chapters organised events around the world to raise awareness of the many people believing in and fighting for a world free of corruption. This year, many national chapters focused on engaging young people: In Bangladesh, essay and poster competitions as well as national seminars were held as part of a youth education and support programme; in India, 13 schools participated in an organised debate; Papua New Guinea organised a youth democracy camp; the programme “Learning from Children” was released in Sri Lanka. Algeria’s national chapter put together a celebration programme, which included youth activities and debates in Kenchela city; in Taiwan, the chapter organised an anti-corruption poster competition, a youth award ceremony for website design, and a university anti-corruption speech contest; a rock concert in Croatia brought together people of all ages. Other examples of events include TI Bangladesh and Lebanon’s nation-wide campaigns under the motto “Say No to Corruption”. While TI Paraguay, celebrating its 10th anniversary, declared December to be the ‘Month of Transparency’, and organised a wide range of activities.

This is just a snapshot of the TI chapter activities that took place around Anti-corruption Day in countries all over the world. Many other chapters took this occasion to organise discussions and lectures, and to honour people in their countries bravely fighting corruption.

Peter Eigen, founder of TI, was honoured with the Gustav-Heinemann Citizen Award 2007. The prestigious annual award is presented to individuals or organisations that, on one’s own initiative, have made significant contributions towards a free and just society. In a laudatory speech, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan summarised Eigen’s anti-corruption work and its importance, citing corruption as a basic problem for good governance and sustainable development. Annan also made special mention of the UN Global Compact, a programme designed to engage businesses in addressing social issues. Annan said that Eigen had fought for a tenth principle to address corruption and, as a result, labelled it, “the Peter Principle”. The ceremony was held on 17 December at the party headquarters of Germany’s social-democratic party (SPD).

In December 2007, Dr Ana Cecilia Magallanes Cortez, one of Peru´s most respected prosecutors, a dedicated anti-corruption fighter and winner of the 2006 TI Integrity Awards, died after a long illness. Dr Magallanes was the leading force in the prosecution of approximately 1,500 members of a criminal network. Her efforts led to the arrest of -among others- former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, army generals, Supreme Court justices, judges and media magnates, and helped initiate the recovery of US $250 million. Dr Magallanes’ courage, iron will and selfless dedication to the anti-corruption and human rights causes left an indelible mark on democracy and justice in Peru. Dr Ana Cecilia Magallanes was and will without a doubt remain a source of inspiration for a new generation of judges and prosecutors in Peru and beyond.

In time for Anti-Corruption Day 2007, TI released a new public service announcement. The film “The Magician” raises awareness on corruption and encourages people to question the abuse of power. With the help of a non-profit production agency, TI filmed "The Magician" to raise awareness about corruption and to encourage people to question the abuse of power. The clip shows a fast-talking magician who makes a hundred-dollar bill – "your money" - disappear in a puff of smoke. The money has apparently disappeared without a trace. But watch again in slow motion and you see where the money really went.

Just as the mystery has been lifted here, TI encourages citizens across the globe to challenge the inevitability and the impenetrability of corruption. Watch "The Magician" in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic and Russian here:

• Transparency_Magician_2007.mov 1.09 MB
• Transparency_Magician_2007.avi 4.44 MB
• Transparency_Magician_2007.mp4 2.59 MB

Or on youtube.com at www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBYTh19gi7g