Berlin, 07 June 2007 – Warning on G8 complicity – African and G8 anti-corruption campaigners speak out

G8 must not make itself complicit

The G8 also has a special responsibility to ensure that its policies and the behaviour of its companies do not make it complicit in corruption, which undermines the best efforts of African countries to fight corruption and improve governance.

Stop the supply side of corruption

In this, spirit, we call on the G8 to make good on their many promises to stem the supply side of bribery, to ensure that G8-based multinationals can no longer bribe with impunity when doing business in Africa.

The OECD Anti-Bribery Convention commits its parties to criminalising and prosecuting instances of foreign bribery. Canada, Japan and the UK must step up their enforcement efforts under the Convention and Russia should adopt its provisions.

Refuse safe haven and help recover stolen monies

We call on the G8 to ensure that its financial markets and institutions are not complicit in managing the proceeds of corruption. This entails cooperating with investigators in African countries to trace, freeze and return stolen assets. Those countries that have ratified the UN Convention against Corruption are obliged to do so. There should be provisions for funds to be administered by a neutral third party, such as the African Development Bank.

Accountability is mutual

Transparency International recognises the principle of mutual accountability and, in making these recommendations to the G8, reminds African leaders of their commitments to anti-corruption and better governance under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Convention and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The G8 and international financial institutions must ensure that African leaders are not hampered in decision-making power over their own economies, good governance initiatives and anti-corruption efforts.

We ask that the governments of the G8 bear in mind that all efforts towards greater well-being and economic justice for the poorest – and even the challenges of climate change – will be unmanageable without good governance and markets free of corruption.

Signed,

Algeria
Association Algérienne de Lutte contre la Corruption
Ghana
Ghana Integrity Initiative
Kenya
Transparency International Kenya
Morocco
Transparence Maroc
Nigeria
Transparency International Nigeria
Senegal
Forum Civil
South Africa
Transparency South Africa
Uganda
Transparency Uganda
Zambia
Transparency International Zambia
Zimbabwe
Transparency International Zimbabwe
Canada
Transparency International Canada
France
Transparence-International France
Germany
Transparency International Deutschland
Italy
Transparency International Italia
Japan
Transparency International Japan
Russia
Transparency International Russia
United Kingdom
Transparency International (UK)
United States of America
Transparency International USA