# Summit for Democracy: For democratic renewal, create conditions for meaningful civic participation during the year of action URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/summit-for-democracy-open-letter-corruption-year-of-action-civic-participation Type: Press release Published: 2021-12-08 Updated: 2021-12-08 --- Open letter to governments from Transparency International’s chapters around the globe 08 December 2021 Dear Heads of States and Governments, We, Transparency International’s national chapters from across the globe, along with its international Board and Secretariat, are writing to urge you to seize the opportunity offered by this week’s virtual Summit for Democracy to generate genuine momentum for the future of democracy. The international community recognised that corruption undermines democracy almost two decades ago when states adopted the UN Convention against Corruption. And yet, inaction on corruption has ignited a new rise in authoritarianism, state capture and grand corruption with devastating consequences for human rights, lives and livelihoods. In the worst affected countries, the failure to combat corruption has meant suffering for people who continue to be denied basic public services, deprived of economic opportunities and locked into poverty. In many others, it has meant policies and decisions that are increasingly skewed towards the interest of the few, while accountability mechanisms are weakened or even captured. And affecting us all, corruption has been undermining climate action and making the COVID-19 crisis worse. Alarmingly, the pandemic has also been abused in many countries to weaken anti-corruption checks as well as to restrict civil and political rights. We would not be facing problems of such scale today if previous anti-corruption commitments and pledges had been conscientiously implemented by governments. Transparency International calls on you to be bold at the Summit’s global stage and explain to the public what is holding up progress – and how you plan to remove those obstacles. This high-level gathering should serve as a platform for honest reflection on the most pressing problems that have been fuelling the interlinked global crises of democracy and corruption, along with the associated human rights abuses. Following the Summit, we appeal to you to be publicly accountable about your plans, provide for an inclusive and participatory process, and establish a clear timeline for action. It is imperative that the “year of action” – which the December 2021 Summit aims to kick off – allows for meaningful engagement with civil society and the catalysation of public support. To that end, we urge you to heed Transparency International’s [proposals for action in priority policy areas](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/summit-for-democracy-2021-addressing-corruption-democratic-decline), and to design the new generation of commitments and strategies to meaningfully address the vicious cycle of corruption, human rights abuses and democratic decline. One key area around which democracies need to urgently act is the defence of anti-corruption fighters around the world. With more countries now moving in an authoritarian direction than in the democratic direction, support to independent journalists and activists around the world is crucial. The future of democracy – especially in countries not represented at the 2021 Summit for Democracy – depends on this. For democracy not to become the COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting victim, we need meaningful action against corruption now. **Signatories** Board of Directors of Transparency International Transparency International Secretariat Transparency International EU Transparency International's U.S. Office Argentina: Poder Ciudadano Armenia: Transparency International Anticorruption Center Australia: Transparency International Australia Austria: Transparency International Austria Azerbaijan: Transparency International Azerbaijan Bahrain: Bahrain Transparency Society Bangladesh: Transparency International Bangladesh Belgium: Transparency International Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina: Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina Burundi: Association Burundaise des Consommateurs (ABUCO) Cambodia: Transparency International Cambodia Canada: Transparency International Canada Chile: Chile Transparente Colombia: Transparencia por Colombia Republic of the Congo: Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l'Homme (RPDH) Czechia: Transparency International Czech Republic Denmark: Transparency International Denmark Ecuador: Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo El Salvador: Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo, FUNDE Estonia: Transparency International Estonia Finland: Transparency International Finland France: Transparency International France Georgia: Transparency International Georgia Germany: Transparency International Germany Ghana: Ghana Integrity Initiative Greenland: Transparency International Greenland Honduras: Asociación para una sociedad más justa Israel: Transparency International Israel Jamaica: National Integrity Action Kenya: Transparency International Kenya Kosovo: Kosova Democratic Institute Kyrgyzstan: Transparency International Kyrgyzstan Latvia: Sabiedriba par atklatibu – Delna Lebanon: Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) Lithuania: Transparency International Lithuania Madagascar: Transparency International Initiative Madagascar Malaysia: Transparency International Malaysia Malta: The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation Morocco: Transparency Maroc Mexico: Transparencia Mexicana Moldova: Transparency International Moldova Montenegro: Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector (MANS) Nepal: Transparency International Nepal Netherlands: Transparency International Netherlands New Zealand: Transparency International New Zealand Nigeria: Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) North Macedonia: Transparency International Macedonia Norway: Transparency International Norway Pakistan: Transparency International Pakistan Palestine: The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity – AMAN Panama: Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Libertad Ciudadana Papua New Guinea: Transparency International Papua New Guinea Peru: Proética Portugal: Transparência Internacional Portugal Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ligue Congolaise de lutte contre la corruption (LICOCO) Dominican Republic: Participación Ciudadana Rwanda: Transparency International Rwanda Seychelles: Transparency Initiative Seychelles Sierra Leone: Transparency International Sierra Leone Solomon Islands: Transparency Solomon Islands South Africa: Corruption Watch Spain: Transparency International Spain Sri Lanka: Transparency International Sri Lanka Sweden: Transparency International Sweden Taiwan: Transparency International Taiwan Togo: Alliance Nationale des Consommateurs et de l’Environnement (ANCE) Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute Turkey: Uluslararası Seffaflik Dernegi Ukraine: Transparency International Ukraine United Kingdom: Transparency International UK Venezuela: Transparencia Venezuela Zambia: Transparency International Zambia ## Advocacy - [Civil Society Organisations](https://www.transparency.org/en/advocacy/civil-society-organisations) ## Regions - [Global](https://www.transparency.org/en/region/global)