The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit 2013 runs in London on October 31 and November 1. More than 1,000 delegates from 73 countries including the 61 current Open Government Partnership (OGP) partners attended.
As host, the UK Government has announced the creation of a public register of beneficial owners of companies in the UK. The anti-corruption pressure group Transparency International welcomed this as a significant step forward in the fight against corruption and money laundering, which as TI says is able to thrive when assets can be hidden through shell companies and opaque ownership structures. The register will help citizens around the world to hold their governments to account by helping to show which public officials are the ultimate owners of assets in the UK.
The G8 Summit in June saw the Prime Minister propose a “transparency revolution” through measures including the creation of public registers of beneficial ownership and revenue transparency in the extractive industries.
Robert Barrington, Executive Director of Transparency International UK, said: “This is an important step forward, and could be a highly significant moment in the global fight against corruption. The Prime Minister is starting to deliver on his ambitious G8 transparency agenda, and it is now incumbent on other countries, particularly the G8, to turn words into action. For too long, it has been possible for corrupt public officials throughout the world to launder their assets through the UK and other major financial centres. This new public register will help the UK’s government, financial institutions and civil society to reduce this shameful trade, whose impact is felt most strongly in developing countries.”
For PM David Cameron’s speech at the event, visit gov.uk.
