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Transparency International Call for Action

Transparency International Calls on World Bank to Move Forward on Governance and Anticorruption Strategy

On 30 January 2007, the World Bank board will consider next steps on the Governance and Anticorruption Strategy presented to the Bank’s Development Committee last September in Singapore.

  • Transparency International (TI) commends the Bank for recognising the importance of reducing corruption in order to promote its core mission to alleviate poverty through sustainable development. TI recognises the Bank’s efforts to begin external consultations on the development of an effective strategy. TI National Chapters have hosted or participated in consultation meetings around the world and have submitted recommendations to strengthen the strategy.
  • There is growing concern that momentum toward implementation has slowed. The credibility of the strategy rests on prompt action to articulate an Action Plan providing staffing, incentives, funding, priorities, timeframes, and benchmarks for implementation and assuring transparency and regular consultation with external stakeholders throughout.
  • The success of this high-profile initiative depends on the tone at the top. It is essential that the board of directors and management send a consistent and strong message of commitment at the highest levels of the institution.
  • The Bank should move promptly to implement fundamental institutional changes internally and, in close coordination with other donors and external stakeholders, in its projects and in country programs. Among the early signals of a serious commitment would be:
    • Regular consultations by the Bank and its borrowers at the national and local levels that assure civil society and non-executive branch stakeholders reflecting citizen views are influential in shaping, appraising and monitoring Bank supported projects and programs to benefit from local knowledge; to address country-specific needs; and to promote the political will and commitment necessary to sustain reform and the success of the Bank’s initiatives.
    • Full fiscal transparency and judicial transparency of all borrowers – regardless of special circumstances – including disclosure of revenues from all sources and the publication of budgets in an accessible manner that promotes public understanding of public expenditures at the national and local levels.
    • A requirement for all bidders on Bank-funded procurement and other private sector partners to adopt and enforce anti-bribery programs.

Transparency International calls on the Board and management to demonstrate their joint dedication to this effort by moving forward on this agenda without delay.

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Special Plenary Session 1:
The World Bank Governance And Anticorruption Strategy: A Multistakeholder Dialogue On The Road Ahead

Learn more on the anti-corruption work of the World Bank


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