|
Confronting
Corruption: The Elements of a National Integrity System -- new, expanded edition
of the Transparency International Source Book.
This edition of the TI Source Book
seeks to combine the ease of the printed word with the immediacy
of the Internet. With many initiatives being taken in many different
parts of the world, emerging best practice is a rapidly growing
area. Readers will find references to the Best Practice documentation,
and this is available on the Internet. This Internet version of
the Source Book will be kept amended and up-to-date in the light
of emerging developments.
Get the new TI Source Book
on the TI website.
OSCE -
Ninth Economic Forum:
OSCE
meeting focuses on transparency and good governance --
From 15 to 18 May
2001, top decision-makers from the 55 OSCE participating states
met in Prague to discuss how transparency and good governance in
economic matters impact on security and stability in the OSCE area.
"Absence of transparency and good governance could become,
in the medium- and long-term, a serious threat to security and stability
on the national level, and could also generate 'hot spots' for security
on a regional level," said Marc Baltes Co-ordinator of OSCE
Economic and Environmental Activities ad interim.
Read more on OSCE
website.
Supporting
Public-Private Partnerships to Fight Corruption
--
On April 19, 2001, a half-day workshop on Public Private Partnerships
to Fight Corruption brought together 40 participants representing
USAID, US Department of State, UNDP, a variety of USAID partners
and other experts in the field of anti-corruption. The goal of this
workshop was to examine when and how to effectively support public/private
partnerships to fight corruption. The questions explored included:
When and why to promote public/private partnerships? What are the
pre-requisites for partnerships to be formed and sustained? What
role should donors take in this process?
The agenda included presentations
on best practices in creating partnerships, case studies from Ukraine
and Philippines, and Transparency International's approach to partnerships.
A lively facilitated discussion common lessons and implications
for future U.S. assistance concluded the workshop.
Read the online
workshop report on the USAID website. It includes an overall
summary of the workshop, brief descriptions of the case study presentations
and facilitated discussion, and all materials presented or distributed
at the workshop.
New documents
from:
The Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity
II
was held on May
28 - 31, 2001 in The Hague, the Netherlands. The event is the follow-up
of Global Forum I held in the US in 1999. More than 110 ministers
and 3000 experts and specialists participated in Global Forum
II, hosted by the Netherlands Minister of Justice, Mr. Benk
Korthals. The plenary sessions were followed by expert workshops
on the following subjects: 1) Integrity and Governance; 2) Law Enforcement;
3) Customs; 4) Corruption, Transition and Development; and 5) Government
and the Business Sector.
Get more information on the Forum website including:
Remarks and Reports
from the U.S. State Department website
Join the
e-discussion on the CEE/CIS regional workshop at the 10th IACC Prague
--
In preparation for the 10th International
Anti-Corruption Conference “Together Against Corruption: Designing
Strategies, Assessing Impact, Reforming Corrupt Institutions
” that will be held in Prague, Czech Republic from 7 to 11 October
2001, UNDP together
with Transparency International
(TI), the OECD
Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies (ACN) and USAID
are organizing the IACC's regional workshop for Central and Eastern
Europe and the CIS, scheduled for the 10th of October.
To assist in the planning and preparations
for this workshop, an e-discussion has been organized by the OECD
for four weeks, starting on 18 June 2001. Each week will feature
a specific topic and invited discussants who will share their experiences
and lessons learned.
Visit the OECD website to
join the discussion and see topics and comments.
Russia:
New
Anti-Corruption Program --
A new project has been initiated in the Samara and Tomsk oblasts
of Russia. This project supports the Tomsk and Samara regional administrations,
civil society, and the private sector in developing practical and
coordinated anti-corruption programs to enhance the transparency,
accountability and integrity of government. Through the sponsorship
of the US Agency for International Development, Management Systems
International is working with all sectors of society in these two
regions to develop a common understanding of the problem, a consensus
around solution strategies, and follow-up support for implementation.
The project anticipates the development of a strong public-private
partnership to manage the problem of corruption, the implementation
of preventive measures to reduce the opportunities for corruption,
and increased transparency, accountability and integrity in government
activities.
Brief
Project description.
Kazakhstan:
Transparency
in Customs --
Widespread corruption in Kazakhstan's Customs Department hinders
foreign investment and trade. The unavailability of information
on customs regulations enables customs officials to demand fines
from individuals and businesses. USAID has been working with the
Customs Department in Almaty since 1999 to increase the transparency
and efficiency of customs operations.
In early February 2001,
the Customs Department launched a new web site (almaty.keden.kz)
to provide the public with detailed information on customs services
and recent changes to customs regulations. USAID helped the
Kazakhstani Customs Department design the web site and introduce
anti-corruption measures. Most of the information on the web
site presently is in Russian. USAID is developing the English language
section of the site further to include translations of relevant
legislation and regulations.
The public may use the
website to report anonymously illegal actions by customs officers
or any other information. The website is aimed at facilitating
greater public access to customs-related legislation, reducing rent-seeking
behavior on the part of customs officials, and removing an impediment
to the operation and success of local and foreign businesses in
Kazakhstan.
Get more information
on Customs Website
Source: USAID, March
2001
Lithuania:
Ethics
resolution gains initial support
--
On 17 April, the Lithuanian Lower House of Parliament approved a
draft resolution submitted by Parliamentary Speaker Arturas Paulauskas,
which lays down ethics principles for politicians and civil servants.
The draft proposes establishing eight key ethics principles, including
respect for human beings and the state, justice, no conflicts of
interest, honesty, an unbiased approach, responsibility, publicity,
and exemplary behavior. It is hoped that this resolution will increase
the public's confidence in state bodies, and encourage politicians
and civil servants to work in a transparent and efficient way. Other
envisaged anti-corruption measures include a new effective legislation
base and a Criminal Code. The parliament is expected to pass an
anti-corruption bill, resolutions to fight corruption and control
crime, and an organized crime prevention bill. A national anti-corruption
strategy is already underway.
Source: ELTA (Lithuanian
News Agency), 30 March/17 April 2001
Moldova:
Corruption
and Quality of Governance in Moldova --
A new report on a nationwide public opinion survey conducted in
Moldova in 2000 was issued. The report was produced by Dr. Lilia
Carascius, Executive Director of the Transparency International-Moldova,
and expert at the Center for Strategic Studies and Reforms (CICR).
The survey was conducted with financial support of the U.S. Embassy
in Moldova.
Get Report on the CICR website
Slovakia:
Successes and
Failures in Fighting Corruption in New European Democracies --
A Conference was held on June 21-22 in Bratislava. The primary purpose
of the conference was to provide an opportunity for participants
(government officials, journalists, representatives from NGOs, lawyers,
and law enforcement officials, from the region and from the U.S.)
to share experiences (both successes and failures) in fighting corruption
in the Visegrad region. The format of the conference included a
series of plenaries by invited guests and discussion panels which
took place over a day and a half. The panels of 4 participants (government,
NGO, and media representatives) discussed various tools used to
fight corruption:codes of ethics, FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)
and other legislative measures, investigative journalism, and prosecution/enforcement.
Following an open and frank discussion about what works and doesn’t
work in the fight against corruption, participants summarized the
lessons learned so far. The Conference was sponsored by the American
Embassy with assistance from Transparency International/Slovakia
and ABA/CEELI.
Conference Agenda and contact
information.
|
