• Global initiatives

Global initiatives

Transparency International (TI) defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption is an obstacle to achieving progress by a world faced with pressing problems ranging from the credit crunch to climate change and poverty. Transparency and accountability are critical to restoring trust and turning back the tide of corruption otherwise global policy solutions to many crises are at risk. This Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2010 is an aggregate indicator that brings together data from sources that cover the past two years making it possible to compare countries.

The surveys and assessments include questions relating to bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts. Perceptions are used because corruption is a hidden activity that is difficult to measure. Perceptions are a reliable estimate of corruption and integrity.

The CPI score and rank are accompanied by the number of sources, the highest and lowest values given to every country by the data sources. The following are the results:

• It shows that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt)
• Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore are tied at the top of the list with a score of 9.3, followed closely by Finland and Sweden at 9.2. At the bottom is Somalia with a score of 1.1, slightly trailing Myanmar and Afghanistan at 1.4 and Iraq at 1.5
• Among the decliners over the past year are countries most affected by a financial crisis precipitated by transparency and integrity deficits. Among those improving in the past year, the general absence of OECD states underlines the fact that all nations need to bolster their good governance mechanisms.

The publication recommends the following:

• Governments need to integrate anti-corruption measures in all spheres, from their responses to the financial crisis and climate change to commitments by the international community to eradicate poverty
• They should strictly implement the UN Convention against Corruption to put an end to corruption.
  

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