12/05/2016 SPEECHES
Remarks by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at Anti-Corruption Summit 2016
Remarks by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at Anti-Corruption Summit 2016
World Bank Group President Jim Yong KimAnti-Corruption Summit 2016London, United Kingdom
On behalf of the World Bank Group, I thank the Government of the UK and Prime Minister David Cameron for his leadership in bringing us together to address the scourge of corruption. All over the world, citizens are rising in protest against governments that are perceived as corrupt. Corruption poses an enormous obstacle to international development and the global goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, and we must do much more to combat it.
Corruption is stealing from the poor. It undermines growth and prosperity twice over – not only in the act of siphoning away resources from their intended purposes, but in the long-term effects of services not delivered – the vaccines that are not received, the school supplies that are not delivered, the roads never built. As I travel the world, I see the corrosive impact of corruption on the lives of the poor and the resulting sharp decline of trust that citizens have in their governments.
Twenty years ago, my predecessor James Wolfensohn delivered a ground-breaking speech in which he called on the world to take action against the quote “cancer of corruption.” Since his speech, we have turned aspirations into action: committing to zero tolerance for corruption, opening the World Bank to scrutiny, and also influencing governments and the private sector to take wide-ranging steps to prevent corruption.
It is now time to go further. I join Prime Minister Cameron, President Buhari and Secretary Kerry in a call to action for governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations on a new agenda that draws on citizens’ demands for transparency and accountability, and one that draws on all the partners and tools. It’s an agenda that builds on what I call “radical transparency” – to create and use transparency to combat corruption wherever we can.
First, we must continue to push for more information and greater transparency involving public funds. In Sierra Leone, working with the UK’s DfiD and our UN counterparts, we helped the authorities design and implement a secure system of transfers that ensured the right amount of money would reach the right people on time, transparently and with accountability. This not only contributed to the fight against the Ebola epidemic, but it also built the confidence of the population in the government’s fight against the outbreak.
The publication of the Panama Papers reminds us of the power of transparency, leading to calls to end tax havens for the very wealthy who wrongly hide their money from governments.
There is no going backward – greater transparency in the world will be forced upon all of us, and that will help prevent and uncover corruption in the years ahead. Looking forward, we stand ready to support emerging international agreements on building standards and systems that enhance exchange of information between countries to avoid illicit flow of funds.
Second, we must use innovation and technology to drive change around the world. Technology can help us improve service delivery and increase scrutiny of how resources are used. Use of biometrically-based Smart Cards in India has meant fewer resources were siphoned off from their intended purposes -- holders received 35 percent more money for a public jobs program than other program beneficiaries and received their payments 30 percent faster. In Mindanao, in the Philippines, geo-spatial tracking and digital photography have contributed to timely construction of roads in conflict-ridden areas.
Third, we must do more to get citizens and the private sector involved. While information is becoming more accessible, it is troubling that the space for citizens and non-state organizations to voice their objections is often diminishing. The death of activists, such as Berta Caceres, Nelson Garcia and so many others in Honduras, has had a chilling effect on accountability. We must do all we can to protect the defenders of transparency.
And finally, we know that successful anti-corruption efforts must feature multiple leaders both inside and outside of government, working together. While the global dialogue on corruption has often focused on corruption in the developing world, recent events highlight the role of policies and practices in developed countries that enable corruption. Studies have demonstrated that ill-gotten assets are often sheltered in developed countries, which further impoverishes developing countries.
We support Prime Minister Cameron’s call for a coordinated global effort to fight corruption. Our goal is to end extreme poverty in the world and we will not allow corruption to stand in the way. We will rededicate ourselves to this task and move ahead with urgency to prevent what amounts to stealing from the poor. Thank you.
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