Fighting corruption has become an essential element in ensuring and building sound democratic governance worldwide. This is recognised by civil society groups, NGOs, parliamentarians, democracy activists, and increasingly by international agencies such as the World Bank, OECD and the UN. Political corruption is seen as a key explanation for growing voter apathy and cynicism in advanced democracies, and poor economic and political development in emerging democracies.  

Recently there have been significant advances in the measurement of corruption, setting up institutions of restraint, and the demands for accountability. Debates regularly focus on how transparency can be improved, the best means for ensuring accountability, the re-education of those involved in corruption, strengthening the agencies combating corruption and protecting the new anti-corruption guardians.  

This seminar builds on many key items of a previous seminar in 2002, but also introduces several new themes reflecting the most recent concerns, notably:

• what difference has the spate of recent anti-corruption declarations, international agreements and acts, made on the ground?
• how can the powers of freedom of information and disclosure be strengthened and how we can learn from others’ experiences and successes?

• how can the media be used and defended in the struggle to combat corruption?
• why are normal agencies of restraint, such as courts and ombudsmen, rarely up to the task?
• how can the enforcement of anti-corruption laws be strengthened?
• has the ‘anti-corruption’ industry itself been taken over by Western or corporate interests?
• were are the heroes and where are the villains – NGOs, Governments, international agencies, corporations, the judiciary?
• how can we fight political corruption and vote-buying?

All participants are encouraged and expected to present their own perspectives and learn from others taking part, so that the seminar can provide useful and applicable ideas to help meet their own challenges.

There will be emphasis on ‘Starting from zero’, finding strategies to launch and support anti-corruption endeavours where the situation seems almost hopeless. The seminar will focus on different perspectives within and between emerging and established democracies, and on the impact of culture.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE
The seminar will be of value to those in politics and public life, in agencies of restraint (such as courts, election commissions, independent tribunals, anticorruption bodies, auditing bodies, central banks, and ombudsmen), in the media, civil society and NGOs coping with issues of transparency and accountability. It will be of interest to those working in international agencies combating corruption, and in the multinational corporate sector drawn into corruption issues. Those tackling corruption while managing projects, funded by aid, foundations, or public sources, will be especially welcome.