Summit for Democracy: Open letter to governments from Transparency International’

 

Summit for Democracy: For democratic renewal, create conditions for meaningful civic participation during the year of action

Open letter to governments from Transparency International’s chapters around the globe

Dear Heads of States and Governments, We, Transparency International’s national chapters from across the globe, along with its international Board and Secretariat, are writing to urge you to seize the opportunity offered by this week’s virtual Summit for Democracy to generate genuine momentum for the future of democracy.  The international community recognised that corruption undermines democracy almost two decades ago when states adopted the UN Convention against Corruption. And yet, inaction on corruption has ignited a new rise in authoritarianism, state capture and grand corruption with devastating consequences for human rights, lives and livelihoods. In the worst affected countries, the failure to combat corruption has meant suffering for people who continue to be denied basic public services, deprived of economic opportunities and locked into poverty. In many others, it has meant policies and decisions that are increasingly skewed towards the interest of the few, while accountability mechanisms are weakened or even captured.  And affecting us all, corruption has been undermining climate action and making the COVID-19 crisis worse. Alarmingly, the pandemic has also been abused in many countries to weaken anti-corruption checks as well as to restrict civil and political rights. We would not be facing problems of such scale today if previous anti-corruption commitments and pledges had been conscientiously implemented by governments. Transparency International calls on you to be bold at the Summit’s global stage and explain to the public what is holding up progress – and how you plan to remove those obstacles. This high-level gathering should serve as a platform for honest reflection on the most pressing problems that have been fuelling the interlinked global crises of democracy and corruption, along with the associated human rights abuses.  Following the Summit, we appeal to you to be publicly accountable about your plans, provide for an inclusive and participatory process, and establish a clear timeline for action. It is imperative that the “year of action” – which the December 2021 Summit aims to kick off – allows for meaningful engagement with civil society and the catalysation of public support.   To that end, we urge you to heed Transparency International’s proposals for action in priority policy areas, and to design the new generation of commitments and strategies to meaningfully address the vicious cycle of corruption, human rights abuses and democratic decline. One key area around which democracies need to urgently act is the defence of anti-corruption fighters around the world. With more countries now moving in an authoritarian direction than in the democratic direction, support to independent journalists and activists around the world is crucial. The future of democracy – especially in countries not represented at the 2021 Summit for Democracy – depends on this.  For democracy not to become the COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting victim, we need meaningful action against corruption now.  See the list of signatories