Corruption and Democracy | DAVOS 2020

We need to we need to show that corruption is a punishable offense. There are repercussions for it multi games journalist by the games, the people who are guilty of the crimes. I've been that way begin changing the culture II because I have to say that. It's also a cultural problem today's panelist the audience in the room and of course our viewers online to our press conference corruption in democracy today will be discussing. I really the key findings of Transparency International corruption

perception index and getting some feedback and contacts in specific countries today. I'm joined by Delia Senator Rubio chair of Transparency International Dr. Mug with the president of the Republic of Botswana and Matthew. galatzia director of Daphne caruana galizia Foundation welcome First let's start with the report. It was just launched Delia. Can you please share with us the key findings? And really the surprise is not ranking. Okay. Thank you very much. And thank you for joining us. The corruption perception index is an instrument that we

have been running for more than 20 years from Transparency International and we have lunch today. It's an index perceptions of academic experts and business sector on the corruption in the public sector of countries. We are not measuring here money laundering illicit financial asset recovery or things like that. Just public sector we use 13 sources and we have measure 190 countries this year. Goes from 100 which means perceived as very clean to serial perceived as

Kylie kurupt and I would tell you that are the best performing countries and also the adults at the bottom. But what is important is that we are not just making numbers of these we are currently waiting on these results with certain aspects of governance of rule of law and other characteristics of our democracy and there is a clear correlation repeated year after year between corrupt countries and weakened political institutions are ordered week rule of law lack of trust in institutions

the undermining of democracy this correlation is clear. Corruption means that we are not talking about casual things. We are talking about things that correlate and this year. We incorporated another factor, which is the influence of big money in politics and the correlation between a campaign financing regulation and enforcement on corruption or transparency and there is a correlation between countries where corruption is high and the regulation is not existent or is week in terms of campaign Finance or money and politics or you have good rules

very bad informant enforcement of that Rose. This correlation is clear the best-performing countries and the average the global average this year in this case 100 to 0 is 43, so there is no great Improvement close. Elites and the best-performing countries are Denmark and New Zealand Vineland Singapore Sweden Switzerland. And those at the bottom part of a index Venezuela in Latin America and Syria South Sudan and so much when performing can twist and I really have to thank the presence of President masisi

because the yellow country if you see our map we have yellow for the countries that are clean or perceive a scream and transference and the red means corruption and in the sub-Saharan region, the only yellow spot is Botswana. So congratulations for all your airport. You can find all the material in transparency. Org. And you can find detailed analysis region-by-region the countries that have performed better in the region and one other thing that we incorporated this year is the relation

or the responsibilities that can switch that are performing well in terms of the index and their responsibilities in global corruption because the money that is stolen in the country's perceived as corrupt and in Banks and fortunes and luxury things in the countries that are seen as transparent. So corruption is a global problem on Cosby has to be tackled by the global Community Manifesto 20/20 this year. We need a collective action and Stakeholders approach if we are going to stop garage. I will leave it there.

Presidents by CeCe Delia reflected on how Botswana is this shining yellow dot on the map. Could you share with us your views on some iron Africa's performance and more specifically on the fact that Botswana ranked second in the region and 34th globally. What is Barcelona doing, right? Well, thank you very much. I guess it's a matter of interpreting an objective result rather than act of kindness intifada suggest that you are we doing. Well, so I will take that

back with me home and that anything that institutions and all the seasons of a sauna for doing this but we remain dissatisfied our fight against corruption. Is that a race to a Finish Line that never pens So it doesn't mean there is no corruption in Botswana. There is corruption, but you go to be dynamic and responding. My plug in the hose to the corruption. What's on exist not in isolation where part of southern Africa we are part of Africa are part of the global community and the Very fact that we could attempt as much as we have to extricate ourselves of negative influences

governance where Democratic country and democracy is incomplete without transparency without accountability. And so we do get held accountable for what you do, but we also in government do play A Part. as we have done recently when interception of many options seem to be growing to be corrupt seem to be getting away scot-free until we close the big holes. I got we passed legislation law. Which requires all political leaders from My Level those National Assembly and Council all senior public offices and

those in the Judiciary to declare publicly their assets and their liabilities. We put in place. It's at least a very recent development. We put in place a directorate of Integrity manager in the office of the president for the simple reason that is supposed to be an influencer. What other institutions of the state? And the Judiciary is responding likewise by they have a dedicated George Wendt corruption and we hope they will increase the number of Judges that I needed to that.

We both have a number of other piece of legislation, you know such as eye protection whistleblowers and amended the corruption the corruption and the economic Crimes Act to tighten the loose ends cuz you keep learning from what you do, but it's the corruption is is multifaceted. They are the motivators of corruption. And they are the actors. And then the other beneficiaries. You always would have in a third-world have been country like mine actors who often act in cahoots with players who play by their trade in

Residence in countries that are not in Africa. And who reside are citizens of countries that are perceived to have it a low-level corruption. And so I think it is time for daily for Transparency International to take the bull by the horns, and let's start following. tracking reporting on those who benefit from corruption You know International policy, which is Mom's to is a system. Whereby you tolerate the expectation expectation of funds resources from state-to-state and then you legitimize it. Because you discovered that they're not Democratic cannot respect human rights in

you seized the assets massage. This Behavior needs to stop because it continues to marginalised developing countries and finally. I would have expected these chance to be packed with people who are all in the value chain of corruption. and I missing because anti-corruption is a means. Donut completo in a sufficient to realization of the sdgs. You cannot you never will realize you is DG's all you do challenges. However, you are. when corruption continues to persist at the levels for adults

and a lot of it has to do with poverty iniquity and no clean water pollution environmental mismanagement Etc. So because we subscribe to these good values we do it because it's the right thing to do for development. Thank you before we move on to the question. I'd like to invite Matthew to talk about the fact that Malta has significantly declined in the CPI. It's dropped six points since 2015. Can you explain to us what has contributed to this Decline and classification of mail to other country to watch? Okay, but hops. People who aren't aware of

why I'm here exactly. My mother was an investigative journalist investigating corruption in Malta who was murdered in 2017. I'm. Murdered is not happen in isolation. It wasn't an isolated attack. Its happened specifically because Moses government chose to go in the exact opposite direction of for example, botswana's government and practically adults corruption rather than antique auction Aza Aza policy and when when a government chooses to do this because it is a choice then that's automatic Lee puts journalist who

investigated corruption in great danger and leads to Mother's which is why my mother was murdered. . Started I suppose with with direction to government of our former prime minister was already has weak institutions to begin with but the the government's program of privatization setting for sports granting licenses to Banks from Iran. Just commented more corruption, and as John just like my mother began to to publish evidence of this corruption instead of fighting fighting. Corruption fighting those

crimes the government doubles down and began to take measures to decapitate the authorities and institutions of all the states. They're supposed to be fighting. Corruption. So things just got worse and worse. Once the government did that in order to protect people in government in order to Text call Groth officials. It's opened up the door tomorrow transnational organized crime and eventually things went into a spiral of decline, which is why Moses ranking has continued to pole

and why it continues to be a country to watch. No, I was way out of this is is very clear. I mean journalist can can continue publishing evidence of corruption. But unless unless I will order it. He's all reformed start acting in the way. They should then we're going to continue being in danger. So yes, our institutions need to be reformed. We need mosa to implement the recommendations of the Council of Europe, but we need our authorities to begin acting immediately. We need to we need to show that corruption is a punishable offense.

There are repercussions for it not against journalists about the gangs the people who are guilty of the crimes. I've been that way begin changing the culture II because I have to say that. It's also a cultural problem. And we seen some of that exemplified by Isabel dos Santos being charged today. Of course. She's an extremely corrupt figure took advantage of weak systems of governance within her country to Kat Von D age of nepotism. Thought she was a neighbor's by accountants and lawyers in Bolsa and elsewhere Moses government turned a blind eye

to the money laundering. That was that was a lot of money laundering. Okay ringing Mozart. Was allowing her to Syphon all of this money that belonged to the public of Angola. On Den. Suede things just got worse and worse for the people of Angola but stings also gets worse than most because what does vested interest have to do in order to allow this money laundering that happened transnational money laundering they have to weaken the institutions in my own country and they have two week in

institutions in Europe. So as you said we really need to work together. To make sure that we're fighting what is actually a transnational organized crime and Corruption together. Otherwise, if they're all week country is like Mozart discount continue to enable the corruption of Isabel dos Santos to the corruption of Moses officials, then I mean things are just going to continue to get worse. I want to ask I have just been said about Malta in this dos Santos Scandal. The role of Gatekeepers has be of importance

Gatekeepers should do their work Gatekeepers and bankers that don't answer a lawyer's so Assurance company Investment Company. So we need this fight against corruption to be done as stakeholders including government including its citizens, of course investigative journalist Archie in the fight against corruption, and we need the business sector. We were talking yesterday at the budget meeting. We need the business sector to participate actively in the fight against corruption. Not only because of values Integrity or ethics but

because of clear effective impress of corruption in competitiveness in the in the capacity to do business and to obtain profit, so if they don't want to participate out of values can participate very concrete things and we need the engagement of civil society and citizens if societies tolerate corruption, They would keep sending the wrong message to the corrupt guys. You can go on because we keep them both in your friends or we keep on buying your girl. That's because it doesn't matter corruption matters in terms of sdgs in terms of human rights

in terms of democracy. So we have to work together is the only way in fact that the position of my family. Is that why Justice for my mother after her mother is important is the number one priority for us. We're never going to be able to bring her back. So the best that we can do to make sure that she didn't die in vain is to make sure that I can't read like Mozart doesn't end up in the situation of her again because we were in so corrupt to begin with things were allowed to get worse

over time. I'm how can we do? This is civil society needs to be engaged. But really the only solid way to do it is to have effective supranational mechanisms. Fight money laundering and cross-border crime and Corruption because once in 2004 ones that happen and we both love is within you money without the ability to fight the crime that comes with it. So within zones of free trade where money flow flows freely like European union or other Regional free trade groups are performing you needs to have some level of compromise where States agree to give up some of their

sovereignty with with respect to the rule of law the fight against money laundering and Corruption. It's really the only way So I'm going to open up the floor to see if there are any questions in the room. The gentleman in back, please state your name and your media Outlet. My name is mortgage account from persona. My question goes straight to Transparency International. I would like to know what you're going to say. She is doing good efforts by countries such as Botana sustained

in terms of a building a capacities systems, or will you be fighting a losing battle? Thank you. Charitable fund where can I take a couple of questions that are there any other questions the Chinaman in the front? I am a woman from Daily Newspaper Lacroix French daily paper and I have a question to mr. Karina Garcia, and I'm sorry to be so but inform about Malta don't you consider that there was some folks done in Malta sensor the mother of your mother. So

any reaction from Zig Zag government or any reform to to fight against corruption? And also I have a question to miss about friends. I saw that in your index friends. Withdrawal from from Four Points since the last index and is difficult for me to understand why there was this this down town is Officer of friends, so you can give me an explanation, please. Thank you very much. Hi, my name is Tim, and I work for is to what extent you think extradition changing expedition to listen to be helpful here we

created with no people see that the things are changing and then you know, they move to a country. They knew that money in the route to a country with no extradition agreement. And then you ready, you know, you think it's important for civil society to see that people who are corrupt do kids eventually prosecuted and if they not living in your country. And I know a couple people joined us late. Is there any other questions? I am, Rue from Alicia. Nice to me. You gave me to call me play Shane president masisi and Delia, but I'm coming from a country that has no payments.

You known as for the 1mdb episode my question is. That's a worry about the pervasiveness of corruption at the lower level from the traffic police take General Motors giving but when it happens at the very top tier of nation, it has to do with supranational linkages and network. How would the ti report work against big companies big brand names like Goldman Sachs Quest not really own up to what has happened to 1mdb. And in fact is in negotiation for reparation damages. If this is the kind of friction that we going to

get from such a big Big Sky incident of corruption, then what's the point of the tea at CPI because it will keep on happening and it will have the adverse effect of the younger population in my country for sample seeing things. I didn't see the big fish will always get away because this is about big money. So if that's above my hero, we don't know what's going on, but I'm just saying maybe you Talking to Professor class. If that's so much emphasis on ESG, where is the emphasis of the stakeholder capitalism movement of metrics to also include the

CPI into any big Financial investment or development projects around the world? Thank you. Who would like to tackle this very good bundle of questions? Do you want to go with you? Okay, I'll start with the question from from Lacroix. So while the new government have started off on a on a very bad footing just for people in the room who who aren't aware our prime minister Moses prime minister resigned. I am not so long ago. And we have a new government from his same political party party bus which has started off on a on a very bad

footing already because many of the people. That backed off our former prime minister of aggressive car auction in Austell within the new government and it seems that while he is willing to make some concessions. I don't think. His government if he's the kind of anger as corruption. It should really be feeling it doesn't seem to be honest. It seems to be more call Sam over compromise rather than anything else. It doesn't seem to be it doesn't seem to be rooted in

any sense of indignation at the corruption of the former government. It seems to be more of a over case of offering some sort of some sort of compromise in exchange for all things calming down in the long-term, but that's not really what we need. Now. What we need is someone or a group of people in government who are willing to go off the corruption in I'm in a more aggressive way and to feel and almost drive to fight it rather than people who think so let's just make this

compromise now and in the long-term, everything will just go away because it isn't going to go away unless something really radical is done. Then things would be left to Fester. And of course Society will never move forward either because the wound will just be left open. Do you have lots of pressure of gear starting with a journalist from where we work through our chapters in more than 100 countries are helping governments are proposing laws or proposing mechanisms to how do I count those in power

and the business sector in the country according to the situation of the respective country. So we have created lots of tools and we keep on investigating and producing tools that allowed the chapter in which country to tackle the problem or to investigate more seriously princess this year. We have been working on money and politics on campaign finance and we have developed tools that allows citizens to see who is giving money to foam in Guatemalans and what Is this

money? I have been used to and this kind of information access to information facilitate, then the detection of potential conflicts of the evaluation of public policies because if you can see who financed home and you can explain sometimes who fought decisions has been taken in terms of public policy. So there are many Jews in terms of France. I would have to check all the sources included. This is an index of indexes. So we have to check what the source is corresponding to France which are

on our platform so you can access yourself, but I compromised to check with the research team. What are The Descent figures in the sources that explain this is statistical change in some kind in some cases the mathematical or logical thing of Four Points. Or down. I'm not statistically relevant according to the margin of error, but we have to take care of that I come from I I commit to the to do that and send you the information. You can do that in terms of extradition laws. Of course. This has to do with Money Mutual legal assistance because this is a global problem.

So we cannot afford to have islands of protection or islands of impunity people can go and bring the money and have a luxurious life without taking care of what they have done and without being sanctioned. So stopping this mechanism of extradition required to be effective Global actions in terms of convention or a rules that standards that can be applied worldwide's globally in terms of petty petty corruption is the 121 the place that are the people that has to pay for a place in the school or a bed in the hospital.

It's terrible. It effects diarrhea. Individual persons and affects the human rights and you have to consider that two-thirds of the 190 chapter two thirds are under 50. So that means that billions of people are facing our living in everyday corrupt environment affecting the quality of life and the possibilities of huge. The other type of corruption is Grand crash which needs a special response because it is global because it import textiles levels both the government and and the captain and dinner in terms of doing something or

reflecting the problem the problem of grand Corrections International so many other indexes and Report princess exporting corruption is a report that analyzed skateboard companies vis-a-vis driving abroad although they are they shot the presidential residence and tax Residence Inn countries that aren't scoring was so we shall be exporting corruption report which have done other reports taking into account. How can trees in the European Union for instant are fulfilling the anti-money laundering directives of the European Union another to detect whether

they are really full feeling their commitments and the roast approved or not. I'm going to reflect that that are hiring formations that are available for everyone investors companies doing business and you mentioned investors and of course they can use this information to in a certain way. They determine where to go within this investment and multilateral. Can juice Yankee corruption information to establish conditionalities when they give loans to campus in order to incentivize

the right bka so there are many things that we are doing and there are different tools that reflects or picture different aspects of corruption and the other one which is very important and keep the information of how people perceive corruption and Safa corruption in the chance, which is the global durometer of corruption. You can find it nowhere website and it is not reflecting the opinion of experts or businesspeople it reflect the opinion of people in need of the

countries where I wear watch. I think it would just add to the answer given earlier to the question by the way. What is National? could you always doing go towards the good efforts after we make Invokana review about the possibility of the brand Transparency International the institution Transparency International in partnership with Amazon a government hosting a pan-african conference or 9 to call option really deal with the scores across Africa in Toledo Zoo Persona

that it's in our national interest to help other countries come up to send it but ticket in a region because we changed immensely with countries nearby us but we also subscribed content of Free Trade Agreement and it's it is going to be extremely hard for business people to trade. With some countries, I'm not missing any names because over there that the index is that we did in DC that we see so we would be advancing this item police ever find a mutually convenient time so that we do this was our objective is to advance and the

annihilation of corruption and opportunities for corruption and dare you talk to that expedition or somebody that changes an extradition law. Yes. We also experienced it to the state that we need to have extradition facilitated in man has similar to exporting coffee or beef or whatever that is going to be a demand for it and enablement of it cost. It's particularly for corruption related issues and them I'd like to state that it was on. Is yellow? It does not mean that there is no corruption in Botswana. He does not mean that we are necessarily better than

last year because it measures so we'd like to hope that one day we'll have to actually start getting criterion-referenced measures of performance against our own standards and ourselves. So we generally improved and look at the rate of improvement so short that we had committed this politically we're committed to doing all we can to make it extremely hard if not impossible. If a good option take place at mid-ocean a new challenges emerge everyday. I wanted to mention before we close out the forms work on partnering against corruption in this shift, which is called patchy. I would she is

information that you can find also on our website encourage you to go to transparency.org to look at the report and look deeper on the findings. It sounds like there is we know there's an urgent call for action and collaborations corruption is definitely in one country and fax all countries everywhere, and I think my panelist for sharing their experience and their knowledge and expertise and I thank you all for joining us today. Thank you.