As the world continues to become a less peaceful place, there is a clear connection between this violence and corruption, according to the anti-corruption campaign group Transparency International (TI), which has released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
In a vicious cycle, the countries that score lowest in terms of peace are also scoring very low on the CPI, says TI. Governments hampered by corruption lack the capacity to protect the people, while public discontent is more likely to turn into violence, the group says.
Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International said: “Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place. As governments have collectively failed to make progress against it, they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict – and endanger people everywhere. The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure governments work for all people, not just an elite few.”
The United Kingdom (73) and Qatar (58) are among countries whose index scores are at their lowest yet. Other places with falling scores are Luxembourg (77), Canada (74), Austria (71), Malaysia (47), Mongolia (33), Pakistan (27), Honduras (23), Nicaragua (19) and Haiti (17). As for the UK, the index points to a number of scandals, from public spending to lobbying, and ministerial misconduct that all highlighted inadequacies in the country’s political integrity. Public trust in politics is worryingly low, TI commented, but government support for an integrity and ethics bill as in the House of Lords could result in a package of reforms that could help.
And Flora Cresswell, Western Europe Regional Coordinator of TI said: “Just as Europe faces myriad challenges – from the war in Ukraine and subsequent energy and food shortages to looming recession – the region is failing to fight corruption. This year we’ve seen how powerful industries and foreign leaders can influence policy at the expense of the public interest from France to Germany and the EU itself. For leaders to effectively tackle the crises facing the continent, they must prioritise sustained, comprehensive action to combat corruption and ensure integrity in politics.”
About the Index
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). South Sudan (13), Syria (13) and Somalia (12), all of which are embroiled in protracted conflict, remain at the bottom; while Denmark tops the list as considered least corrupt. Data sources include the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, and think tanks. Visit https://www.transparency.org/.
