Voting Day in Egypt: why I am optimistic — for now
With the sun beating down and temperatures reaching 41 degrees in Cairo, I went to my local polling station to vote in an election where, for the first time in our history, no one knows the outcome. This was a remarkable moment for me and my fellow Egyptians. And because of that, I have to [...]
Posted on 25 May 2012 by Omnia Hussien
Who will police the police?
Claims of UK police bribery are usually shocking enough on their own to elicit a strong reaction. Recent allegations, however, that bribes were paid to members of London’s Metropolitan Police Service Anti-Corruption Unit shock deeper still. One of the officers in question is accused of selling information regarding a Nigerian official, James Ibori, who laundered [...]
Posted on 24 May 2012 by Chandu Krishnan
G8 action on asset recovery for the Arab world
The G8 have just released an ambitious and comprehensive asset recovery action plan as part of the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition. It is timely and necessary to reinforce the momentum behind stolen asset recovery processes. The first step by G8 countries was to freeze the accounts of the authoritarian leaders Mubarak, Ben [...]
Posted on 23 May 2012 by Angela McClellan
May
2012
Italy needs strong anti-corruption laws now
With Italy once again awash with corruption scandals and parliament delaying the approval of new, tougher anti-corruption laws, Transparency International’s latest assessment of Italy’s ability to fight corruption and the strengths of its institutions, published on 30 March, was well timed. The scandals, according to Maria Teresa Brassaiolo, chair of Transparencia Italia, should not surprise anyone, which is [...]
Posted by Deborah Unger
Europe’s hunger for energy needs an integrity check
Europe’s thirst for energy remains high as regulations in the Eurozone tighten and the focus on energy efficiency grows. At the same time, an energy infrastructure that allows EU countries to quickly shift power to where it is most needed when shortages occur still needs to be built. With this in mind, the drive to [...]
Posted on 21 May 2012 by Conny Abel
The roadmap to a new beginning
Peace agreements offer the possibility for a new beginning. They allow the international community and national governments the opportunity to strengthen governance and embed some anti-corruption controls which, in turn, will help build durable state institutions. Recent studies demonstrate that change can be achieved with the appropriate mix of political pressure, incentives, and creativity. As [...]
Posted on 17 May 2012 by Saad Mustafa
Pushing Forward G8′s Anti-Corruption Agenda
In India more than 200 million people live without secure access to food, the most of any county in the world, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. As the report argued, this is not because India lacks the resources to provide for its population. On the contrary, India’s domestic food production would be more [...]
Posted on 15 May 2012 by Shruti Shah
On a Plane to Brazil
A few weeks ago I traveled to Brazil. Early Sunday morning I got on a plane from Amsterdam to São Paulo. My seat was in row 62, the last one just next to the toilets. This is not a fun experience when you have to fly for more than ten hours. As I sat down [...]
Posted on 15 May 2012 by Alejandro Salas
What can Slovenia learn from New Orleans?
Hurricane Katrina was a dark hour for New Orleans, costing the lives of thousands and displacing an entire city, but in terms of community relations and the fight against corruption it has certainly had a silver lining. How can Slovenia learn from the resurgence of that city, to bring about change and reconciliation? Integriteta- Transparency [...]
Posted on 11 May 2012 by Vid Doria
Niger fait campagne contre les faux enseignants, la corruption dans les écoles
4 milliards de Francs CFA destinés à l’éducation perdus, presque mille faux enseignants, et des milliers d’enfants de régions rurales assis par terre, parce que les bancs et tables inscrits au budget n’ont pas été livrés. Il n’est pas étonnant alors que le taux d’alphabétisation au Niger est en dessous de 30%, laissant peu d’opportunités [...]
Posted on 10 May 2012 by Hassane Amadou Diallo