WASHINGTON, DC – Amidst speculation over details of a possible tax agreement between Switzerland and Britain, Global Financial Integrity (GFI) reiterated the message that a broader, global solution to illicit financial practices and banking secrecy is needed.
NEW DELHI, India; Global Financial Integrity (GFI) Director Raymond Baker will travel to India this week for meetings with government officials, journalists, and civil society organizations. Mr. Baker will also deliver remarks at a press conference Friday afternoon.
WASHINGTON, DC – A unique coalition of asset management firms and civil society organizations issued a statement today committing to call on governments and relevant multilateral institutions to establish a country-by-country financial reporting standard for multinational corporations. The “New Haven Declaration on Corporate Financial Transparency” establishes links between corporate accountability, business practices, and economic development and poverty alleviation. New Haven statement signatories include groups like Trillium Asset Management and Wealth for the Common Good and represent $20 billion in combined assets under management.
This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day is marred by a U.S. Chamber of Commerce attempt to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), our nation’s flagship anti-corruption legislation. Passed in 1977, the FCPA was a response to eroded public trust in government following the Watergate scandal and the admission by Lockheed and some 400 other American companies that bribery to foreign officials was a commonplace practice in international commerce.
The U.S. FCPA stood virtually alone on the global stage in the fight against corruption until the late 1990s, when other nations began adopting similar prohibitions. Today, the FCPA is buttressed by the UN Convention Against Corruption, a similar document binding members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, regional commitments, and a significant focus on the issue by the G20.
WASHINGTON, DC – In October 2003 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and designated December 9th as International Anti-Corruption Day. Global Financial Integrity looks back on the past year to see how anti-corruption efforts fared.
Writing about India’s booming economic performance and growth potential has become its own cottage industry over the last several years. Indeed, a report out this week predicts that India will become the world’s fastest growing economy by 2012 and, by 2030, will likely be the globe’s third largest economy behind China and the United States. From its educated work force to its embrace of technology and the likelihood it will be among the leaders in developing “green” businesses, it appears that India – other than the Commonwealth Games – can do no wrong. But the rosy picture has a dark underside that must be addressed if India’s stagnant income inequality levels are to be overcome.
WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) applauds Harrington Investments, Inc.’s decision to file shareholder resolutions with Citigroup, Bank of American and JPMorgan Chase, calling for the adoption of a policy position addressing the systemic use of the U.S. financial system to both shelter illicit funds and transfer them internationally.
Last December an ageing Russian Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane flying from Pyongyang, was detained during a scheduled refueling stop in Bangkok. When the belly of the plane was inspected security personnel found 35 tons of illicit military equipment that, it was later discovered, was on its way to Iran. While it is a positive development that the $18 million cargo of rockets, surface-to-air missile launchers and rocket-propelled grenades was detected before reaching its intended destination, the arms shipment was anything but a rare occurrence. Worse, the shadowy world of shell companies, nominee directors and multi-jurisdictional layering of corporate entities, which are at the heart of this affair, was left completely intact. Fortunately, the G20 nations can play a hugely positive role in ameliorating this growing problem.