Financial Transparency Coalition

Achieving Transparency: a Dialogue for Action

Representatives from civil society organizations and governments, policy makers, academics, and journalists gathered in Bergen, Norway September 28th and 29th, 2010, for the second annual conference of the Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development.

The Task Force conference featured two-days of presentations, panels, and break-out sessions focusing on the establishment of implementable action items for achieving greater transparency and accountability in the global financial system. Most of the discussion centered around the Task Force’s five recommendations for promoting greater transparency in the global financial system for the benefit of developing and, increasingly, developed countries:

• Automatic Exchange of Tax Information
• Curtailment of Trade Mispricing
• Country-by-Country Reporting of Profit and Taxes Paid by MNCs
• Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership of Financial Accounts
• Harmonization of Predicate Offenses under Anti-Money Laundering Laws

In an effort to facilitate a robust exchange of ideas, the 2010 conference also included “breakout sessions” to delve into more specific topics related to transparency and development. Breakouts featured experts on corruption, the G20, Africa, the Task Force’s new Financial Integrity Index, a convention on transparency, economic data transparency, and an educational outreach program.

A series of keynote speakers added further depth to the conference. This year’s speakers included Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim; illegal fishing expert Gunnar Stølsvik; Pierre Fallavier, a researcher on illicit flows in Afghanistan; Norwegian State Secretary Ingrid Fiskaa; and a special presentation by the Vice President of Guatemala, Dr. Rafael Espada.

This report (PDF 4.18 MB) includes a summary of all the presentations from the 2010 Task Force annual conference and concludes with priorities for 2011. We encourage you to visit the Task Force website to watch video and audio recordings of all the presentations from the 2010 conference and to learn more about the need for greater transparency in the global financial system.