At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), taking place in Malta, a joint statement by the anti-corrpution pressure group Transparency International and Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, has pledged to put fighting corruption at the centre of the Commonwealth.
The statement outlines the damaging impact of corruption that “can choke off development, rob people of faith in their governments and sow the seeds of instability and conflict.”
The statement sets out eight steps to begin the process of the Commonwealth leading global anti-corruption efforts, including a formal Commonwealth scheme, meeting the G20 standards of beneficial ownership, as well as much stronger mechanisms for the sharing of information.
Cobus de Swardt, Transparency International Managing Director, said: “We are delighted that the Commonwealth – which represents nearly a third of the world’s population – is taking the fight against corruption so seriously and treating it as a priority. Corruption has proven to be a major destructive force across the Commonwealth, ruining millions of lives and stunting development and growth.”
“The Commonwealth is in a unique position to lead international anti-corruption efforts. Transparency International is proud to work together with the Commonwealth to support our vision of a world in which corruption is eradicated.”
“This joint statement marks a first step in this relationship and we look forward to moving forwards and building a lasting partnership to combat corruption.”
For the statement in full visit the TI website.
