Financial Transparency Coalition

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard Google’s informal and now iconic motto “Don’t be Evil.” Google describes this slogan as twofold. To the company, the motto is first about providing its “users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services.” Second, it is more generally about “doing the right thing,” including “following the law, acting honorably and treating each other with respect.” While some on this blog (and even Steve Jobs once) have accurately pointed out ways in which Google has failed to act by this code, in many other ways,...

Weakening the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Makes Sense from Neither a Moral nor Economic Perspective American businesses sometimes argue against the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. flagship legislation which makes bribery of foreign officials a crime, using economics. We see this, in particular with the latest inundations of attacks from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has taken it upon itself to single-handedly dismantle the effectiveness of the FCPA. These interests claim that the FCPA makesU.S. businesses less competitive internationally because other businesses from other countries are “allowed to bribe.” Of course, they don’t put it that crudely. But...

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is a global, instrumental inter-governmental group that develops and promotes policies battle money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF issues a set of recommendations to outline criminal justice and regulatory measures that countries should implement to effectively fight these problems. This set includes the FATF’s 40 Recommendations, which cover a complete list of anti-money laundering (AML) measures and span the criminal justice system, law enforcement, the financial system, financial regulation, and international co-operation. Additionally, the FATF releases 9 Special Recommendations, which specifically address terrorist financing. Together the 40+9 Recommendations form the international standard for...

On September 7th, 1822 Prince Pedro, the Portuguese Prince of Brazil who represented the monarchy in the Brazilian colony, received a letter. It was from the Princess Maria Leopoldina, his wife, and it advised him to give the county its independence after nearly two years of rebellion. Prince Pedro heeded his wife’s advice . Later that day, standing on the shores of theIpirangaRiver in Sao Paolo, Pedro declared Brazil’s independence, ending 322 years of colonial rule. According to legend (and artistic recreations of the event) a very refined looking Pedro, dressed in a military suit, brandishing a...