We welcome that G20 leaders remain committed to “building a global culture of intolerance towards corruption” as noted in the just released Antalya G20 Leaders’ Communique. Effective implementation of the 2015-2016 G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan is critical to tackling corruption globally.
Oya Özarslan, Chair of Transparency International-Turkey, says that “We are happy to see some commitment from G20 leaders on tackling corruption, now we need to see the action! If there is no implementation, there will be no impact on people’s lives.”
This year G20 Leaders announced the adoption of new high level principles, G20 High-Level Principles onIntegrity and Transparency in the Private sector, G20 Anti-Corruption Open Data Principles, and G20 Principles for Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement. These have the potential to contribute to tackling corruption in the world’s major economies as highlighted by Transparency International-Turkey in numerous occasisons and also pointed out by C20 Turkey (Civil Society) Communique. However, we now need to see some tangible action from the G20 countries on how they will put these into practice in order to have real improvement in people’s lives.
G20 countries are urged to finish the work on developing asset disclosure frameworks, which have been under discussion since the 2012 adoption of The Los Cabos High Level Principles. They should finally determine the standards of asset disclosure to be applied to all G20 countries, such as, central registries for asset disclosure of politicians.
In light of Transparency International’s recent study noting that most G20 countries currently have serious deficiencies in their legal frameworks realted to commitments made last year via the High Level Principles on Beneficial Ownership Transparency, we welcome that individual implementation plans have been published but urge leaders to move faster on their pledges.
Transparency International will be monitoring G20 leaders’ commitments on fighting against corruption, which we believe that it is a major obstacle to democracy and social justice in the world.
