They say timing is everything. Following on the heels of my last post about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, comes Transparency International‘s hot-off-the-presses 2009 Corruption Perception Index The Index focuses on corruption in the public sector and uses surveys to establish how much corruption is perceived to exist within the country. This year’s worst included Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Myanmar and Venezuela.
You can find the full rankings index here.
Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International, made the following remarks on why the index is so important in identifying and stemming corruption:
At a time when massive stimulus packages, fast-track disbursements of public funds and attempts to secure peace are being implemented around the world, it is essential to identify where corruption blocks good governance and accountability, in order to break its corrosive cycle…
Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well performing judiciary, independent and properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law enforcement, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows, as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society… At the same time, companies must cease operating in renegade financial centres.
You can read more of his poignant remarks on Transparency.org in the article Corruption Threatens Global Economic Recovery, Greatly Challenges Countries in Conflict.
What do you think about the United States’ ranking?