• Access the Project Factsheet in English and Arabic

Corruption and a lack of transparency are pervasive problems in the Arab region, hindering development and public accountability in spite of increased public awareness and political will that have made it a priority in some national agendas. The region is also characterised by a lack of accessible empirical data on the specific forms and nature of corruption.

To address this fundamental challenge, Transparency International is carrying out a three-year programme to analyse corruption, and identify sustainable structural reforms needed to be addressed in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine.

Corruption has a devastating impact, not only on economic development, but also on political legitimacy and processes in the Arab region. This has resulted in widespread state capture by ruling parties or a minority elite, a general resistance to change, the restriction of freedoms and public participation, poor public management and resource allocation, as well as inequitable distribution of resources and national wealth.

Uprooting corruption entails creating awareness of the problem, opening markets for competition, ensuring justice, unlocking development potential, guaranteeing equal access to public services and breaking the cycle of bribery that traps millions in poverty.

The programme, Promoting Transparency and Enhancing Integrity in the Arab Region, aims to analyse the systemic causes of corruption in each country, inform citizens, governments, the private sector and other stakeholders and identify ways to effectively tackle corruption.

To do so, detailed studies and research centered on a baseline National Integrity System report will be completed for each country involved in the project. The individual reports will then be compiled into a Regional Comparative document. A further report monitoring compliance with the UNCAC will be completed in each country.

The reports will serve as the basis for raising awareness in the region, and will be supported by numerous capacity building events.

Further information:

• About the studies and research
• How the project will raise awareness
• Events planned to build capacity

Countries Involved in the Project

Contact:

Nicolas Séris, Programme Coordinator
Transparency International Secretariat
Berlin, Germany
nseris@transparency.org

This programme described on this website is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The information provided on this Web site is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.