Transparency International calls on the United Nations to make governance a global commitment post 2015

Transparency International, the global anti-corruption movement, has published its recommendations to the United Nations to adopt a goal on governance as part of new global commitments to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of development pledges made in 2000 which will come to an end in 2015. 

“Governance is of crucial importance for eradicating poverty and ensuring a country’s equitable and sustainable development. Agreeing on a governance goal signals its key role for all countries in meeting these aims. It provides a direct response to citizen demands for change,” said Huguette Labelle, chair of the Transparency International. 

More than 300,000 people consulted by the UN about their development demands put an “honest and responsive government” among their top-three demands. 

Transparency International believes that governance should be based on transparency, accountability, integrity, and citizen participation and that it needs to be integrated in any global commitments on development. 

A governance goal should have as its focus four key target areas: citizen engagement, to ensure meaningful participation of people in the decisions that affect their lives; rule of law, to ensure that citizens are well-served by honest and independent institutions; fiscal transparency, to show that revenues and payments are accounted for and that illicit flows are eradicated; and procurement, because open and competitive procurement prevents waste and corruption.

"Linking governance to future development goals will have a direct impact on the availability of essential services such as health, education, clean water and on investments on climate change. It is a fundamental and important commitment that will help better the lives of millions of people,” said Labelle.

The proposal for new global development commitments will be part of a forthcoming report by a High-Level Panel of 27 experts that the UN has established in September 2012. The panel is expected to issue its report at the end of May 2013 to the UN secretary general and member states. 

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Transparency International is the civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption