Ending corruption to end poverty by Transparency International 6:17pm 25th Sep, 2013   Corruption Perceptions Index: Corruption around the world in 2013    Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 offers a warning that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world.    More than two thirds of the 177 countries in the 2013 index score below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).    "The Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 demonstrates that all countries still face the threat of corruption at all levels of government, from the issuing of local permits to the enforcement of laws and regulations," said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.    In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, Denmark and New Zealand tie for first place with scores of 91. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia this year make up the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.    "The top performers clearly reveal how transparency supports accountability and can stop corruption," said Labelle. "Still, the better performers face issues like state capture, campaign finance and the oversight of big public contracts which remain major corruption risks."    The Corruption Perceptions Index is based on experts’ opinions of public sector corruption. Countries’ scores can be helped by strong access to information systems and rules governing the behaviour of those in public positions, while a lack of accountability across the public sector coupled with ineffective public institutions hurts these perceptions.    Public sector corruption threatens to undermine global initiatives    Corruption within the public sector remains one of the world’s biggest challenges, Transparency International said, particularly in areas such as political parties, police, and justice systems. Public institutions need to be more open about their work and officials must be more transparent in their decision-making. Corruption remains notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute.    Future efforts to respond to climate change, economic crisis and extreme poverty will face a massive roadblock in the shape of corruption, Transparency International warned. International bodies like the G20 must crack down on money laundering, make corporations more transparent and pursue the return of stolen assets.    "It is time to stop those who get away with acts of corruption. The legal loopholes and lack of political will in government facilitate both domestic and cross-border corruption, and call for our intensified efforts to combat the impunity of the corrupt," said Labelle.    http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2013/    25 September 2013    As global leaders gather at the United Nations to discuss the future of the world’s development, Transparency International has a simple message for them: you need to fight corruption to win the battle against poverty. Anti-corruption and governance go hand in hand with improving education, lifting people out of poverty, increasing hygiene, improving the status of women and the provision of clean water.    The stories where corruption cripples development are numerous. They stretch from police officers and judges violating people’s rights by demanding a bribe and government officials siphoning off state funds or cooking procurements, to men and women of all ages having to make illegal payments to enrol their children in free schooling or get them care in a public clinic.    Crowdsourcing sites, like “I Paid a Bribe”, have proliferated to track the widespread phenomena of bribery, whether it is happening in India or a continent away in Kenya.    Corruption hits the poor the most    Transparency International surveys consistently show the same problem of the poorest suffering the most from corruption. According to the 2013 Global Corruption Barometer, of the more than 114,000 people surveyed in 107 countries, one in four people have paid a bribe while trying to access the most basic services. For the poorest countries, this number is one in two.    But the cost of corruption goes beyond the bribe paid, the law violated or the money stolen. It hits at the core of people’s right to live better lives. It undoes global efforts to end poverty as set out in eight development pledges, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that governments from around the globe committed to in 2000. Yet progress has been mixed on the MDGs at best and many countries and regions are not on track to meet their goals by the end of 2015. For Transparency International, one of the key reasons for not meeting these important goals is corruption and lack of governance.    Our findings show that where countries are more open, accountable and respect the rule of law, there is better education, health and access to clean water and sanitation – three of the targets outlined in the MDGs.    In countries where there is more bribery, more women die during child birth and fewer children are educated, irrespective of how rich or poor a country is. Particularly in rural areas, people are less likely to find safe water to drink and more likely to lack indoor plumbing.    Good governance boosts development    These new findings show a strong relationship between bribery and reduced development that is often so strong that it distorts the usual correlation that exists between a country being richer and having better development. Simply put, being rich does not stop corruption from preventing an end to poverty.    But it is clear that people in better governed countries have better development.    In countries that are more transparent and where there is good oversight and law enforcement:    More pregnant women get proper healthcare and have healthy births    More children and young people go to school and learn to read    Families have access to clean water and have piping to take their sewage away    Despite this evidence, the MDGs did not include any commitments on anti-corruption or open and accountable governments. Now is the time to set the past right as new goals are being debated by the UN for what will come after 2015.    Transparency International calls for the United Nations to adopt a governance goal and mainstream governance into all goals.    The meetings in New York mark the start of negotiations about new goals. Let’s make sure it gets off on the right step. Visit the related web page
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