The open and convenient access to government information is essential to democracy. Free debate and accountability require transparent governance structures that encourage citizens to engage with public officials. However, our data from the Global Integrity Report shows that the legislation and practice of this right vary greatly across the globe. Here we look at the…
With Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner now calling on U.S. lawmakers for at least US$100 billion in fresh taxpayer cash to support increased IMF bailouts to foreign countries, a hard look needs to be taken at governments that lack the internal controls to manage the huge inflows of capital being proposed as panaceas to the global…
Here’s a quick roundup of media coverage of the recent Global Integrity Report: 2008. Thank you to all the people worldwide who helped us get the word out. Our 2008 Grand Corruption Watch List is the focus of an article and slideshow in Business Week magazine. Russia’s Kommersant newspaper highlights findings from the Global Integrity…
An unpleasant truth of corruption rankings is that they tend to shift focus toward poor governments and away from rich (but private) institutions that are actively participating in the looting of the worlds poorest people. UK resource watchdog Global Witness pushes back with a spotlight on the banking sector. They find banks are all too…
As Guatemala prepares for the enactment next month of its shiny new access to information law (PDF), local and international organizations have started to wonder if the country is actually going back to the old practice of using state advertising to punish or reward news organizations. While working the last few months on the implementation…
President Yoweri Museveni’s discussion of corruption and its dangers can be eloquent, tough and inspiring. It might lead citizens to believe this is the right man to wipe out corruption from the Republic of Uganda, the pearl of Africa. Not quite. Global Integrity’s Salim R. Biryetega reports from Kampala. Since assuming his current third term…