The time for justice, equity, security and trust is now

The 17th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) with the theme Time for Justice: Equity, Security, Trust concluded on 4 December in Panama City with a strident call:

People all over the world – activists, governments, business and the media – must come together to defeat corruption and hold the corrupt to account in an era where integrity and truth are under attack.

The conference called for everyone in the anti-corruption movement to:

• join together to support public prosecutors in Brazil where new legislation threatens their work
• protect activists like Joe Moses, who was harassed on his journey from Papua New Guinea to Panama, and to
• safeguard journalists who write about corruption and are threatened because of the work they do.

In the home of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the heart of the Panama Papers, anti-corruption activists called for an end to the illicit networks that secrecy jurisdictions foster.

The final declaration proclaimed:

The time for action is now. Together we will strengthen our web of anti-corruption activists. Together, the public sector, business and civil society will hold the corrupt to account.

Read reports from the workshops and speeches at the 17th International Anti-Corruption Conference here. Read the closing remarks of Elena Panfilova, Vice-Chair of Transparency International.

Read the full Panama Declaration here.

The 18th International Anti-Corruption Conference will be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018. Here’s a preview of what is coming up.

We’re in Panama at the #17IACC to say it’s time to end secret companies! It’s #TimeForJustice! #PanamaPapers https://t.co/bNjZmjXfuz pic.twitter.com/yeJnQrnc3k

— Transparency Int'l (@anticorruption) December 1, 2016

Together we can show #Brazil lawmakers that we will NOT accept this revenge law! Spread the message. We can do this! #LavaJato [7/7] pic.twitter.com/pDCmmdZ3oZ

— Transparency Int'l (@anticorruption) December 3, 2016

Lava Jato from #Brazil ���� task force receiving the Anti-#Corruption Award at the #17IACC @anticorruption pic.twitter.com/pI1KvO210w

— IACC (@IACCseries) December 4, 2016

Journalists are under threat in Panama. Reporting on #corruption is not a crime! #Panama must exonerate and #FreeOkkeOrnstein NOW! pic.twitter.com/ODEgX3f3OM

— Transparency Int'l (@anticorruption) December 1, 2016