Transparency International founder Peter Eigen honoured by German government

The Federal Republic of Germany today awarded Transparency International founder Peter Eigen its Grand Cross of Merit (Großes Verdienstkreuz des Verdienstordens) in recognition of his efforts to combat corruption at the global level.

German President, Joachim Gauck bestowed the honour upon Peter Eigen and the medal was presented to him by the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, at the Berlin City Hall.

Peter Eigen founded Transparency International in 1993 and the award coincides with the 20^th anniversary of the creation of the preeminent anti-corruption organisation.

Peter Eigen has worked in economic development and governance for several decades. After he left the World Bank he has led initiatives for better governance and the fight against corruption worldwide. He has tirelessly worked to raise awareness of the devastating effects of corruption on economic growth, social welfare and justice, and has pioneered the global fight against corruption.

From 1993 to 2005 Peter Eigen was Chair of Transparency International and is now the chairman of the Transparency International’s Advisory Council. Subsequently Eigen was the founding Chairman of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), until 2011. During the same time he founded the Berlin Civil Society Center and supported the creation of the Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance.

Peter Eigen is Honorary Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin. His academic career included teaching positions at the University of Frankfurt am Main, Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Georgetown University.

In 2001, Peter Eigen received the first-class medal of merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz 1.Klasse) of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2004, he received the Readers Digest Award "European of the Year 2004" and in 2007 the Gustav Heinemann Award.

Since 2007 Eigen has been a member of Kofi Annan's Africa Progress Panel. He is a member of the boards of the Vale-Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment at Columbia University, New York, of the Arnold-Bergstrasser-Institute, Freiburg, and of the Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance, Berlin. Eigen also chairs the Board of the Stiftung Kinder-Hilfe and in 2011 joined the board of the German Doctors Association (Ärzte für die Dritte Welt).