What’s new?
TAI is joining thousands of other anti-corruption champions in Atlanta this week for the UN Convention Against Corruption Conference of State Parties. As a lead in to the negotiations and learning sessions, TAI’s Cristina Ordóñez highlights the crisis of funding for anti-corruption work, despite its importance and public frustrations at corruption around the globe.
Financial institutions and industry groups formed the Impact Disclosure Taskforce to help corporations and governments disclose their efforts toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Co-chair Arsalan Mahtafar highlights the potential for unlocking significant sustainable capital through a transparency mechanism.
The World Bank pledges increased assistance to nations in establishing "high-integrity" carbon markets, ensuring both environmental and social integrity. Executive Director, Michael Jarvis, reviews the sudden emphasis on “high integrity nature solutions” at COP.
Transparency International published a report about land corruption threatening efforts to achieve fair energy transition and climate justice.
Antara Haldar, providing insights from a behavioral economics perspective, says that “institutions defined by power imbalances are inherently unstable, especially in the long term. Yet the structures that underpin our system of global governance fit precisely that description.”
Reflecting on the closure of Global Integrity, Amy Miller-Taylor shares her insights under the theme 'Learning with Integrity.'
The Freedom Fund's report highlights successful litigation in promoting human rights and shaping corporate behavior, including opening new pathways to corporate accountability. However, it also acknowledges the gradual and uneven systemic impact of these efforts.
Our Deputy Director, Eszter Filippinyi looks at funder steps to help realize gender-just economies. Inspired by the 2023 EDGE Funders Alliance Conference, she points to the need for new economic thinking and policies and shares European case studies on feminist approaches to trade, just transition, and care funding.
The Museum of Political Corruption announced its 2023 inductees into its Hall of Shame and Hall of Honor. You may visit the Halls of Shame and Honor online.
Sanjay Shah, a hedge fund trader, was extradited to Denmark, where he is charged with fraud in a scheme to steal $1.3 billion from national coffers.
In a week when Trafigura announced a $5m dividend for each of its shareholders, it was also in the news for corruption cases being pursued by US and Swiss authorities, including charges against its former COO for bribery in Angola.
ESSENTIAL READING
Nearly one-third of humanity lives in 'closed' societies, says CIVICUS Monitor. The new People Power 2023 report reveals global trends, highlighting threats to civic freedoms in seven newly downgraded countries: Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela.
From our members
PACKARD FOUNDATION
TAI’s newest member has added to and curated this wonderful collection of photos of working women, started by fellow member Hewlett Foundation. Check out these images of empowerment.
FORD FOUNDATION
President Darren Walker and Joan Carling, Global Director at Indigenous People’s Rights International, advocate for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to take the lead in achieving a Just Energy Transition.
LUMINATE
In a recent op-ed, TAI Steering Committee Member Toyin Akinniyi, calls for increased support from funders, civil society, and media to strengthen democratic institutions and promote inclusive political engagement across Africa.
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS
TAI Steering Committee member Alvin Mosioma, and Maryam H'madoun explain why the recent resolution to create the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation marks a significant initial stride in reshaping the global tax governance framework and stands as a historic victory for countries in the global South.
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS
Find key insights and proposals from Fair Funding Solutions to address and rectify the deficiencies in the funding system that are detrimental to civil society and hindering the establishment of more equitable partnerships.
Henry Alt-Haaker and Susanne Zels at the Robert Bosch Foundation argue that philanthropy should avoid partisanship due to its lack of democratic legitimacy, but must not feign impartiality or hide behind neutrality.
A study commissioned by Caritas Europa exposes a notable lack of transparency among donors, with only three of the top 10 donor governments and three leading international non-governmental organizations able to demonstrate the amount of money allocated to local entities.
Adeso Africa engages in discussions on the subject of aid decolonization at the Shift the Power Summit just held in Bogota. Adeso contributes to the broader dialogue on reshaping power dynamics in the humanitarian and development sectors.
ESSENTIAL READING!
Supposedly representative institutions in Europe often under-represent many individuals. Accordingly, Sarah Durieux and Jeff Kwasi Klein point to an urgent need to reconstruct a political culture that serves the interests of all.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK
The Global Disinformation Landscape
There has been much press coverage of the number of lobbyists attending COP28 in Dubai, but what of the proactive spread of disinformation to influence talks? The CAAD coalition presents its third Deny, Deceive, Delay report, offering a snapshot of climate discussions leading up to the COP. They examine climate mis- and disinformation within three distinct ecosystems: the fossil fuel lobby, state-affiliated actors, and online entities capitalizing on the 'outrage economy.'
Switching from specific theme to a specific geography, Zeina Antonios sheds light on the pervasive dissemination of disinformation in Lebanon. The information landscape is dominated by platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and various news sites. This prevalence poses an escalating risk of encountering unverified news and false information, contributing to the challenges of information authenticity.
Do you want to do something to strengthen information integrity? There are a couple of exciting opportunities. First, AFP is offering free training in digital investigation and electoral disinformation through a self-directed course designed to combat the challenges of misinformation. Second, Forum Information and Democracy is calling for contributions to shape the International Observatory On Information and Democracy.
Finally, we turn to multilateral efforts and the step taken by UNESCO towards shaping the global digital landscape with the release of definitive guidelines for an Internet for Trust. Authors hope they will become a cornerstone for international digital regulation. To gain deeper insights into this development, a couple of weeks ago, we engaged in a conversation with Guilherme Canela, the Head of the Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists Section at UNESCO. We hope you enjoy it.
ESSENTIAL WATCHING!
Watch the recording of World Futures Day 2023, where Jonas Gissel Mikkelsen from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies leads a discussion on integrating future thinking into public policy. Jeanette Kwek and Jacob Ellis explore solutions to tackling long-term issues in the face of short election cycles.
JOBS
Philanthropic Partnerships Director - The EDGE Funders Alliance
Project Officer - Southern Voice
Several openings - Open Contracting Partnership
Senior Engagement Manager, Executive Office - ClimateWorks Foundation
Regional Coordinator for Africa - Coalition for Human Rights in Development
Portfolio Manager - African Visionary Fund
Senior Programme Manager, Kenya - Porticus
CALLS
The Global Fund for Human Rights' Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) invites expressions of interest from land and environmental justice groups based in Southeast Asia.
The World Justice Project (WJP) invites responses to the World Justice Challenge 2024. This year's theme is "The Rule of Law Foundation of Democracy," with cash awards of $20,000 USD each for five promising projects.
You can still apply to join the Fix the Flow fellowship as a fundraiser or funder.
Call for proposals for the grant programme “Contributing to Peaceful and Safe Societies”
The OECD invites public input on proposed changes to the Commentary on Article 5 of the OECD Model Tax Convention and its application to extractible natural resources.
The 2024 TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting is open and accepting submissions - deadline January 31, 2024
OIF offers funding for projects to combat misinformation for Francophone countries
CALENDAR
Climate Justice and Corruption: Perspectives from the Frontlines, Accountability Lab and TAI, Atlanta, 12 December 2023
Exploring multi-faceted approaches to prevent corruption and enhance accountability, 12 December 2023
Alliance livestream - 2023: A Year in Philanthropy, 13 December 2023
Implementing beneficial ownership reforms: national progress, 13 December 2023
Reporters Shield Information Session - 14 December 2023
Symposium on Systems of Financial Secrecy co-hosted by Open Ownership and the LSE International Inequalities Institute, 21 February 2024
We’d love to hear from you on how we can further improve TAI Weekly to better serve your needs in program management on the transparency, accountability, improved grantmaking and civic space. Please direct your feedback to [email protected] or