Transparency International USA (TI USA) and the Transparency International Secretariat held a multi-stakeholder consultation with World Bank senior management on 20 July to discuss the Bank’s new draft anti-corruption strategy. The strategy, meant to define World Bank President Wolfowitz’ zero tolerance corruption policy, was being prepared without external input. Upon learning this, TI USA pursued a consultation on the strategy with TI Chair Huguette Labelle, TI board members Nancy Boswell and Frank Vogl, as well as other civil society organisations and private sector representatives. Key themes included the need for broader Bank consultations in-country and the urgent need for government transparency and engagement with civil society.

TI has solicited input from its national chapters on the Bank’s strategy to feed into a commentary to submit to the World Bank. Bank officials pledged to take participant input into account in preparation of the final paper, to be reviewed by the Development Committee at the annual meetings in Singapore in September.

The Bank’s board of directors passed guidelines on 1 August to implement the Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VDP), which offers confidentiality and deferred sanctions when companies disclosing corrupt activities undertake stringent reforms, including anti-bribery programmes and external monitors. The implementation and monitoring of strong anti-bribery programmes required by VDP build on longstanding recommendations by Transparency International.

In July nine Transparency International national chapters from candidate countries for European Union accession participated in a special consultation organised by the European Commission in Brussels to review progress made toward meeting accession criteria. Monitoring reports on countries’ progress will be publicly available in October and will give an overview of areas in need of improvement before accession. Corruption and organised crime have been major issues for many of the countries and remain factors in the continued delay on a final decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession. The October reports will determine if the two countries are ready to accede in 2007 or must wait until 2008.

The official website for the 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference is now up and running. The theme of this year’s IACC, to be held in Guatemala 15-18 November 2006, is “Towards a fairer world: Why is corruption still blocking the way?” To register for the conference, or for further information, including workshop themes, flight and accommodation details, please visit www.12iacc.org

Transparency International Nepal (TIN) organised a three day interactive anti-corruption workshop in July near Kathmandu. Around 40 support group members, working to expand TIN's anti-corruption movement across Nepal, attended the programme in Chitwan. Eight corruption-themed papers were presented by experts, along with discussion of related problems and solutions in Nepal. Speakers emphasised the need to understand the types and effects of graft, as well as the role of civil society and state agencies. Also debated were the United Nations Convention against Corruption and Nepal's ratification process, progress on TI’s National Integrity System studies and the link between corruption and social crisis.

TIN president Dr. Devendra Raj Panday addressed the workshop, stressing the need for anti-corruption efforts to improve democracy in the country. He identified the King’s anti-democratic actions in recent years as having weakened the movement.

Acción Ciudadana, Transparency International’s chapter in Guatemala, recognised three public institutions and one municipality in June for effectively using the Guatecompras contracting and procurement information system. The municipality of Santiago Atitán, Sololá, the Secretariat of Agricultural Affairs, the Permanent Committee of Exhibitions and the governmental Penitentiary System Office were awarded for disclosure of their procurement and contracting processes to citizens through the Guatecompras website. Acción Ciudadana assessed more than 300 public institutions on their number of published tenders and contracting law violations, among other criteria. Executive director Manfredo Marroquín said: “Infractions are still being made; the weak public prosecutions held by the Controller’s Office hinder important leaps toward transparency in Guatemala”. For more information contact: accionciudadana@accionciudadana.org.gt

Transparency International Venezuela’s Municipal Transparency Indicator System, designed to assess the transparency of public procurement and contracting, commercial licensing and budgeting, has recently awarded Transparency Awards to the city halls of the Venezuelan municipalities Naguanagua, Valencia, Los Salias and Carona. The mayor of Naguanagua said it reflected a commitment to maintaining the transparency necessary for social development. The general coordinator of Valencia City Hall said the award was a great incentive, and expressed a wish to improve transparency still further. To receive more information on this award, now in its second year, please email prensa@transparencia.org.ve or visit http://www.transparencia.org.ve

At a workshop organised by the Policy and Research team of Transparency International’s Secretariat (TI S) and Inwent, and facilitated by the Americas Department at TI S, Chile Transparente and Transparencia por Colombia met to discuss anti-corruption methodologies and strategies. The Colombian team shared its experience in developing transparency indicators, political monitoring and integrity pacts with Chile Transparente as they began their work on an Access to Public Information Index. Transparencia por Colombia annually publishes the Public Entities Integrity Index, the Departmental (Provincial) Transparency Index and the Municipal Transparency Index. For more information, please contact:chiletransparente@chiletransparente.cl or:publico@transparenciacolombia.org.co

Alan Warburton, Senior Resources Coordinator at the Transparency International Secretariat, is looking for people from across the TI movement who are interested in sharing information and experiences on fundraising. If you have lessons to share, or questions to ask, please contact Alan at:awarburton@transparency.org

An OECD Development Centre study, Uses and Abuses of Governance Indicators, is now available. The study provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the most widespread indicators, helps users find their way through the hundreds of indicator datasets and shows how these tools are widely misused both in international comparisons and in the analysis of individual countries. The study comes at a time when investors, donors, academics and analysts are demanding to see indicators of the quality of governance in the various countries in which they operate. Get more information by writing to: Dev.Contact@oecd.org

Following the recent bombings, TI’s chapter in Lebanon, the Lebanese Transparency Association, has joined forces with five other local civil society organisations to launch the Civil Campaign for Relief (CCR). The campaign is a civil society-led initiative, working with various branches of government to support and provide immediate assistance to refugees and displaced persons from South Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The CCR was formed in response to the lack of capacity to cope with a large humanitarian crisis.

Over 650,000 persons have been displaced. Many face a serious shortage of basic necessities. The CCR is coordinating and providing relief and emergency assistance such as food, medical aid and psychological support. It is also providing information and updates on the situation, and coordinating with other relief agencies. The most urgent needs concern accommodation of the refugees in schools: mattresses and blankets, sheets, sanitary equipment, food, medical supplies, cutlery, clothing and fuel.

The Civil Campaign for Relief is based at Zico House (Yamout Building), 1st Floor, Spears Street, Beirut. Their phone numbers are: +961 1 741 412 and +961 70 971 731. Donations may be made to:

The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections
Acc: 013-004-360016454-02-5
Société Générale Beyrouth Liban (SGBL), Sassine
SWIFT: SGLILBBX