Brisbane, Australia (PANA) – An open letter, published for the attention of the Group of 20 biggest economies, has called for concrete actions to stop corruption and make the global system more transparent.
The letter, jointly written by Transparency International, two Nobel Laureates and 22 leaders of civil society representing every continent, was written five days before the G20 leaders’ summit in Brisbane, Australia.
“Lest we forget: the primary victims of organised crime, corruption, and tax evasion or avoidance are the poorest citizens of the world,” they said in the letter.
The signatories include Nobelists Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Tawakkol Karman, the heads of the Africa Progress Panel, Amnesty International, Care International, Christian Aid, Global Witness, Oxfam, The One Campaign, Tear Fund, Transparency International and World Vision*.
The letter calls on G20 leaders to take concrete steps to stop the more than one trillion dollars of illicit money that is siphoned off each year that could be used to alleviate poverty and better the lives of millions.
They said “The G20 must: outlaw secret company ownership and mandate public registries of the identities of the real, living people (beneficial owners) who ultimately own and control companies and other legal entities to make it easier to track the origin of corrupt or illicit funds.
“Ensure multinational corporations publish information on a country-by-country basis on revenue, profits and taxes paid so that citizens can scrutinise where money is earned and where it may be going missing.”
The joint effort by the anti-corruption activists, humanitarian organisations and individuals recognised for their ethical and moral authority, organised by Transparency International, is to show world leaders that there is a common belief across continents and constituencies that specific actions can limit corruption and illegal activities if governments make them a priority.
“When a global financial system allows billions of dollars of corrupt or stolen money to flow unchecked around the globe, something is wrong. When financial secrecy helps strip Africa of $50 billion each year, something is wrong. When the poor of this world see the wealth of their countries slip beyond their borders, something must be done,” they said in the letter.
In the push to deliver growth in the global economy, the signatories are reminding the world leaders that they must put people at the centre of decision-making for sustainable and inclusive development.
The initiative coincides with a social media campaign, organised by Transparency International, to send more than two million tweets to the G20 leaders for its “Unmask the Corrupt Campaign”.
The campaign’s three goals are to introduce global beneficial ownership regulations with public registries, use visa denials to punish the corrupt, and make those who sell luxury goods ensure the corrupt don’t profit from the proceeds of corruption.
