Financial Transparency Coalition

WASHINGTON, DC – Following the conclusion of a two day conference titled “Increasing Transparency in Global Finance: A Development Imperative,” the Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development issued the following statement to the members of the G-20:

Paul Collier of Oxford is speaking at the Task Force – he chairs its economists panel. One third of Africa’s wealth is outside Africa he says. If returned that would increase its capital by 50%. And as he notes the social return on capital on that in Africa would be vastly, vastly more in Africa than it could ever be outside because capital is so scarce in Africa. And as he also points out – the true cost of corruption is the defeat of honest politicians...

Gerald Green and Patricia Green, Los Angeles-area film executives, were found guilty late last Friday of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering laws of the United States, as well as substantive violations of the FCPA and U.S. money laundering laws in relation to a sophisticated bribery scheme that enabled the defendants to obtain a series of Thai government contracts, including valuable contracts to manage and operate Thailand’s yearly film festival.

Ngozi Ikonjo-Iweala is MD of the World Bank. She’s spoken here and is saying that the importance of the issue we’re talking about – illicit financial flows – has not yet struck home. It’s time for it to take centre stage. She has directly endorsed action. Direct action, on the street, she says. She’s directly thanked the small coterie of us from civil society who are working on this issue – and has said this is the #1 issue for civil society and development now. There must be, she says, people on the streets demanding change. Placards are needed. And we must...