January 21, 2021
The UN General Assembly’s decision to hold a Special Session against Corruption in 2021 created a historic opportunity for the international community to address the global crisis of corruption.
The undersigned groups and individuals are united in the conviction that it is of the utmost urgency for the UNGASS 2021 to put an end to the abuse of anonymous companies and other legal vehicles that facilitate cross-border corruption and other crimes. We are calling on the UNGASS 2021 to commit to making centralised, public beneficial ownership registers a global standard.
Companies that exist only on paper, exploiting our legal systems and concealing their ultimate ownership, are tools for the diversion of critical resources needed to advance sustainable development and collective security.
For decades, as scandal after scandal has demonstrated, anonymous shell companies have been used to divert public funds, channel bribes and conceal ill-gotten gains, as part of corruption and money laundering schemes stretching across borders.
Beneficial ownership information – information on the natural persons who ultimately own, control or benefit from a legal vehicle – enables cross-border enforcement and the tracing of ill-gotten assets for confiscation and return. In public contracting processes, it helps in the detection of conflicts of interest and corruption. It also makes it easier for businesses to carry out due diligence, helps them know who their partners and customers are and meet reporting obligations.
A central, public register of companies and their ultimate beneficial owners – in addition to information on legal ownership and directors – is the most effective and practical way to record such information and facilitate timely access for all stakeholders.
We have come together to address government leaders currently preparing for UNGASS 2021 with one voice and one clear message: The “concise and action-oriented political declaration” to be adopted by the General Assembly should commit all countries to establish central, public registers of beneficial ownership as the new global standard. This should be supplemented with efforts to verify the collected information in order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of beneficial ownership data.
Transparency in company ownership is more than a technical solution to a problem. It is a matter of social justice.
Corruption devastates the lives of billions of people around the world, while its deadliness has become all the more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis. With only ten years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda targets, we need decisive reforms to ensure that the resources needed to pay for critical public services such as schools and hospitals are not simply misappropriated and hidden away in tax havens or property markets abroad. Centralised, public registers of beneficial ownership as a global standard is precisely that kind of change.
The time for action is now.
Signatories
Civil society & non-profit groups
Access Info Europe
Accountability Lab
Africa Centre for Energy Policy
Africa Centre for Open governance (AfriCOG)
Africa Freedom of Information Centre
AfroLeadership
Anti-Corruption Data Collective
Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa
Article 19
Basel Institute on Governance
BHP Foundation
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Centre for Law and Democracy
Civil Forum for Asset Recovery (CiFAR)
Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS)
Development Gateway
Directorio Legislativo
East African Community Youth Ambassadors Platform
Footprints Africa
Global Financial Integrity
Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime
Global Integrity
Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC)
Global Policy Forum
Global Witness
Government Transparency Institute
Human Rights Watch
Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (HIVOS)
International Lawyers Project
International Trade Union Confederation
Latindad
mySociety
Natural Resource Governance Institute
ONE Campaign
Open Contracting Partnership
Open Corporates
Open Data Charter
Open Ownership
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
Oxfam
Partnership for Transparency Fund
Publish What You Pay
Results for Development (R4D)
Shadow World Investigations
Tax Justice Network
Tax Justice Network Africa
Technologies for Accountability Foundation
The B Team
The Sentry
Trade Union Advisory Council to the OECD
Transparency International
Transparency International EU
Transparency, Accountability & Participation (TAP) Network
UNCAC Coalition
Water Integrity Network
Wildlife Justice Commission
World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Transparency & Anti-Corruption
Angelika Prokop-Grey, Anti-corruption, compliance & ethics expert, Poland
Bruce Hamilton Moore, Former Director International Land Coalition, Canada
Daniel McElroy, Lawyer, United States
Daniel Riuz, Human rights researcher, Italy
Danna Ester Hernández Alvarado, Civic activist, Honduras
Diego José Torres Saldaña, Lawyer, Ecauador
Edward Ahangama, Lawyer, Sri Lanka
Fabiano Angélico, International asset recovery consultant, Brazil
Fleury Rakotomalala, Investigative journalist, Madagascar
Gary Pienaar, Advocate of the High Court, South Africa
Hashim Awad Abdelmageed, Laywer, Sudan
Iman Mirzazadeh, Lawyer, Iran/Sweden
Joachim F. Reuter, Author & public speaker on ethics, Germany
José Salvador González Cervantes, Researcher, Comunidad PIRC/CIDE, Mexico
Juanita Olaya Garcia, Governance and sustainability expert, Colombia/Germany
Karen Glossop, Communication & leadership consultant, Canada/United Kingdom
Kevin Joseph Comeau, Laywer, Canada
Kim Gleeson, Director of Universal Human Rights Network, Australia
Laurence Cockcroft, Co-founder of Transparency International, United Kingdom
Linnea Mills, Anti-corruption researcher, Sweden/United Kingdom
Mario G Picon, International development expert, Peru/United States
Maxe Fisher, Artist, Canada
Mona Hafez, Migration expert, Germany/Senegal
Nicholas Keith Staite, Former Crown Prosecutor, United Kingdom
Nicholas Smyrnios, Artist, Greece/Sweden
Olumide Gabriel Areo, Nigerian Students’ Accountability Network
Paul Reid, Former trade union official, Australia
Peter Eigen, Founder of Transparency International, Germany
Rakesh Raman, Journalist, India
Reynaldo Castro Melgarejo, Anti-corruption investigator, Mexico
Richard E. Messick, Global Anticorruption Blog
Rob Davidson, Open data advocate, Canada
Robert Davidson, Member of Open Government Multi-Stakeholder Forum, Canada
Roberto Júlio Tibana, Economist, Mozambique
Rochelle Rocain Dean, Executive Director Civil Society Bahamas
Rubén Darío León Pineda, Anti-corruption researcher, Colombia
Santiago Wortman Jofre, Lawyer, Argentina
Sarah Steingrüber, Global health expert, Germany
Stephan Klaus Ohme, Financial expert, Germany
Stuart Hendin, Legal expert, Canada
Taher Al-Hatef, Anti-corruption researcher, Yemen
Wayne Copeland, Community activist, Canada
William Bourdon, Lawyer & Founder of Sherpa, France
More Signatories
Academia
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Adam Sneyd, University of Guelph
Adriana Rosenfeld, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Argentina
Ahmad Shukri Al Rimawi, Jordan University (retired)
Anne Marie Goetz, Center for Global Affairs, New York University
Antonina Voloshenko, National Defenсe University of Ukraine
Ayfer Karayel, Galatasaray University
Bienvenido Ortega, Universidad de Málaga
Brian Seville, Cape Breton University & Lambton College, Jillin University
Bruce Kidd, University of Toronto
Dalton Sardenberg, Fundação Dom Cabral
Daniel L. Feldman, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York
Dominik Zaum, University of Reading
Elena Fernández Gascueña, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Elisabetta Iossa, University of Rome Tor Vergata
Emmanuel S. Caliwan, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Gabriel Zucman, University of California, Berkeley
Georgios Antonopoulos, Teesside University
Gordon Bailey, Capilano University (retired)
Heather Marquette, University of Birmingham
Hugh Govan, Adjunct Senior Fellow University of the South Pacific, School of Government, Development & International Affairs
Ina Kubbe, Tel Aviv University
Jean-Loup Chappelet, Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration, University of Lausanne (IDHEAP)
Jean-Marc Gollier, University of Louvain
Jeevan Kumar, Centre for Ambedkar Studies, Bangalore University
Jiri Melich, KIMEP University (former)
John P. Pace, Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales & Sydney Centre for International Law, the University of Sydney
Jose Ugaz, Pontifical Catholic University; former Ad-Hoc State Attorney of Peru; former Chair of Transparency International
Joses Kirigia, African Sustainable Development Research Consortium
Kevin I. J. Yeh, Shih Hsin University
Leonard J. Brooks, University of Toronto
Liz David-Barrett, University of Sussex
Ljubomir Jacić, Technical College Požarevac (retired)
Louise Shelley, Terrorism Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, Schar School, George Mason University
Luís de Sousa, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa
Martin Hearson, Institute of Development Studies
Martin Kreutner, Dean Emeritus, International Anti-Corruption Academy
Matthew C. Stephenson, Harvard Law School
Matthew H Murray, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Michael Breen, Anti-Corruption Research Centre, Dublin City University
Michal Johnston, Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science (emeritus), Colgate University
Mick Moore, International Centre for Tax and Development
Mira Johri, Université de Montréal
Miriam Estrada-Castillo, Universidad Casa Grande
Moses Agaawena Amagnya, Staffordshire University
Muhittin Acar, Hacettepe University
Neila Chaabane, Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis
Nikolay Naydenov, Sofia University “St. Climent Ohridski”
Nikos Passas, Northeastern University
Nils Finn Munch-Petersen, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies
Noemi Gal-Or, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (emerita)
Omololu Fagbadebo, Durban University of Technology
Pablo Biderbost, Universidad Pontificia Comillas
Pascale Hélène Dubois, Georgetown University Law Center
Paul M Heywood, University of Nottingham
Prabhat Ranjan, University of Allahabad
Professor Hannah Vowles, Birmingham City University
Richard Murphy, Sheffield University Management School
Robert Barrington, Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex
Robert Gillanders, Anti-corruption Research Centre, Dublin City University
Ronald Berenbeim, Leonard. N. Stern School of Business Administration, New York University
Shaazka Beyerle, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, Schar School of Government and Policy, George Mason University
Sol Picciotto, International Centre for Tax and Development
Sophie Lemaître, University of Rennes 1
Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale University (Emeritus Professor of Law and Political Science)
Tankie Khalanyane, National University of Lesotho
Taryn Vian, University of San Francisco
Thomas Piketty, School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris School of Economics
Vanessa van den Boogaard, International Centre for Tax and Development & University of Toronto
Vitezslav Titl, Utrecht University
Bayero University Kano, Nigeria
Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University
Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University
Copenhagen International School
International Centre for Tax and Development, University of Toronto
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Transcrime, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute
Universidad de Barcelona
Universidad del Valle de Atemajac, Mexico
University of Lagos
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Business
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4MM Consulting, Brazil
Arborealis LEI AS, Norway
Arcade Legal & Consulting Services, Albania
Avi One Services, Canada
Banka BioLoo Limited, India
Border Paving Ltd., Canada
Bulgarian Swiss Chamber of Commerce
Business Integrity Alliance, Malaysia
Cabot Capital Partners, Colombia
Caribbean Office of Trade & Industrial Development Limited
Clarke Quay Sàrl, Switzerland
Corporate Research and Investigations Limited
Dobel Farming and Trading Ltd, Papua New Guinea
Droguerias Y Farmacias Cruz Verde, Colombia
Ecco Advisors LLC, United States
EVO GmbH, Germany
Fair Tax Mark, United Kingdom
FEXLAW, Ecuador
Forum Chambers, United Kingdom
Genc Myftiu, Albania
Gray Bay Consultants Limited, UK
Havilah Company Limited, Uganda
ICOTeam Europe
Industrieconsult, Bulgaria
Integrated Management Systems (IMS) S.r.l, Italy
Integrity Sports India
MECMAC Ltd, United Kingdom
Multispin Tex Private Limited, India
NIUGENE PNG Limited, Papua New Guinea
Pacific 360 Pty Ltd, Australia
PCR Law & Associates, Australia
Pedro Azul B.V., Netherlands
Planus do Brasil
PROMIS@Service Sàrl
Reboot Design
Red Horse Fruit Juice Manufacturer Sendirian Berhad, Malaysia
Refinitiv
Sarsenov’s Corporate Governance Advisory, United States
Servicios de Salud Mundial, S.A., Guatemala
Sigma Risk, United Kingdom
SIRA International Risk Advisors Inc., Canada
SJM Online Retail Ltd, United Kingdom
SKOL & SERNA, Colombia and United States
South Spain Properties
Stream House AG, Switzerland
Tamas Consultants Inc., Canada
Telos Governance Advisers, United States
The Vera Group, United States
Trade Center of the Americas
UK Doorstep Choice Limited
UNISHKA Research Service, United States
VAPTECH Bulgaria
Warrior Square Limited, United Kingdom
Wealth-X
World Commodity Freight, United States
Abdullah Mahmood, Service delivery professional, Canada
Ali Asad N. Malik, Corporate lawyer & compliance specialist, Pakistan
Andrew John Fernbach, Lawyer and founder of GOVLAW, Australia
Anthony Bennett, Public financial management consultant, United Kingdom
Avedius Severine, Financial crime specialist, Tanzania
Bronwyn Best, Ethics consultant, Canada
Denis Meunier, Anti-money laundering consultant & Former Deputy Director of Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
Faisal Anwar, Independent consultant – compliance and ethics, Pakistan
Frank Thomas Heckeler, Business executive, Brazil
Gabriel Tavera Zafra, CEO at iSOSRisk S.A.S., Colombia
Greg M. Bernstein, Founder, Grotto Networking
Hannes Bäck Hyldig, Anti-money laundering specialist, Denmark
Ian Szlazak, CEO of Resolution House Inc., Canada
Ingo Steinhaeuser, Director of Refinitiv, United States
Ivan Georgiev Dimitrov, Compliance officer, United States
James Wasserstrom, Director of the Wasserstrom Group, Greece
Jean Pierre Chabot, Entrepreneur, Canada
Joe Garett, Investment banker, United States
John G Hudson, Engineer and aerospace and automotive industry auditor, United States
Jorge Londoño Saldarriaga, Former president of Bancocolombia, Colombia
Learnmore Nyamudzanga, Tax consultant, Zimbabwe
Manunatha Amaratunga, Certified Public Accountant, Sri Lanka
Mario-Ricardo Calderon, CEO at Servicios de Salud Mundial, S.A., Guatemala
Mark Moody-Stuart, Former Chairman of Anglo American PLC & Former Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors of the Royal Dutch Shell Group, United Kingdom
Márton Szegedi, Lawyer, Hungary/Luxembourg
Michael David Loewen, Anti-money laundering investigator, Canada
Michał Zemelka, CEO of EnterSystem, Poland
Muhammad Shahzad, Accountant, Pakistan
Paul van Acker, Compliance specialist, Spain/Netherlands
Paula van Egmond, Legal counsel & compliance officer, Netherlands
Peter Dent, Partner at Deloitte LLP & Former Chair, Transparency International Canada
Rasmus Engelbrecht, Regulatory affairs expert, Switzerland
Shainul Bhanji, Certified Public Accountant, Tanzania
Sterling Eddy, Business executive (retired), Canada
Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato, Financial crime expert, South Africa
Tannuva Akbar, Compliance analyst, Canada
Thomas Mitro, President & COO, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, United States
Trevor Casbolt, Compliance officer, Guernsey
Yohan Favreau, Global risk & compliance manager, France
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Public sector
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Azeddine Akesbi, Professor of Economics, Center of Education Planning (COPE), Ministry of Education, Morroco
David K. Akoi, Director of Internal Audit Agency, Liberia
Erinomo Temitope Olubunmi, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria
Jon Ramberg, Diplomat (retired), Norway
Juan Manuel López Nadal, Diplomat (retired), Spain
Lisa Kubiske, Diplomat (retired), United States
Otto Reiners, Member of Münster City Council, Germany
Paula Alexis, Public official (former), Trinidad and Tobago
Roy John Cullen, Former Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, Canada & Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC)
Yen-Hung Lin, Office of Housing Development, Taoyuan City Government, Taiwan
Libya Asset Recovery & Management Office
Namibia Anti-Corruption Commission
SME Corporation Papua New Guinea
University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine
Westminster Foundation for Democracy, United Kingdom
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