Government

Tackling corruption

Without good governance, and unless we beat corruption, we will never defeat poverty. Corruption steals money that could otherwise be spent on health or education. It hits poor people hardest, and poor women worse of all. The World Bank estimates that, worldwide, more than $1 trillion is paid in bribes each year.

Goods, people and money move around the world more than ever before. But too often public money finds its way into private bank accounts. The UK has pledged to:

• make sure that aid is used for the purposes it is meant for
• help developing countries fight corruption
• promote responsible business
• close the international loopholes that allow people to launder stolen money.

Yet, while we take a zero tolerance approach to misuse of DFID money, we cannot wait for corruption to go away - the poor need our help.

Any plan to fight corruption in a country must be part of a programme to improve governance. The best check on corruption is to strengthen governance to prevent it from happening. That means encouraging demand for good governance by supporting civil society and the media, parliaments and trade unions and communities. So that people’s voices are heard and governments are held to account.

What DFID is doing

DFID plays a leading role in international fight against corruption, both nationally and internationally, by supporting the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption.

The UK is the largest supporter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) – contributing $5.41 million. The EITI has been set up to fight corruption through increased transparency of payments from companies to governments. It will also help make sure that natural resources and the wealth they generate are well governed.

The UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has established new structures to make sure we take a proactive response to money laundering by foreign 'politically exposed persons'.

The UK has provided over $2 million to the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), under which African governments hold each other to account on a whole set of political, economic and corporate governance standards, while respecting African ownership. The UK has also provided support country review processes in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda.

The UK provides extensive support for national public financial management reform efforts through DFID’s country offices. The UK has also been a major contributor to international efforts in this area, for example the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Programme.

We have made significant progress in the fight against corruption:

• Nigeria was once Africa’s most corrupt state. Now it has set up special agencies to fight corruption and bring wrongdoers to trial.
• For many years Nigeria was flooded with fake medicines. A recent crackdown has slashed the number by half.

Links

• Tackling corruption in the world's poorest countries
• Aid effectiveness
• UN Convention Against Corruption – A Global Response for a Global Problem
• Accountability arrangements to combat corruption using partnerships
• Art imitates life in Makutano Junction
• DFID Governance Research from IDS Knowledge Services