TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Prioritizing Public Interest in a Changing Landscape

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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WHAT'S NEW?

The International Energy Agency highlights a need to deliver “people-centered and inclusive” energy transitions that present opportunities for employment and access in a very unequal region. Yet as Michael Stott reports the region is betting more on fossil fuels than renewables: governance is a core part of the problem, there is a need for stronger institutions and regulation for renewables.

The vision of improved governance of natural resources as key to a successful energy transition is motivating BHP Foundation’s support to Governance Action Hub, a new project designed to empower locally-led coalitions to reduce corruption in resource-rich countries.

Fundamental rights are not well enough protected in the online sphere as detailed in the Liberties Online Civic Space Report, the first specifically focusing on the state of the online civic space in the European Union.

A report by the EU Tax Observatory shows that multinational corporations avoided paying $200 billion in taxes worldwide in 2020, the last year for which data is available. All this money was evaded through profit shifting, a strategy used by companies that have subsidiaries in many different countries.

As negotiations on a potential UN tax convention got tough, Thabo Mbeki was among those urging empowering the UN to tackle global tax abuse. Although the UK and EU appeared to block the shift away from the OECD. Nonetheless, the group of African nations will bring a resolution for a UN Framework Convention on Taxation to vote next week and is hopeful it will pass. 

Connex has a new brief making the case for “lock-in” clauses in public-private partnership contracts to better serve developing countries.

Mauricio Cárdenas and Juan José Guzmán Ayala detail how forest-based carbon markets could become an important source of income for countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, but only if the right institutions are in place, at the national and local level to manage the risks. 

Perspectives is a collection of essays discussing the promise, reality, and future of the accountability mechanisms at international financial institutions.

Joanita Najjuko and Crystal Simeoni argue for greater inclusion of the perspectives of women and girls as well as better recognition of their needs in macro-level economic decision-making. 

Speaking at the National Anti-Corruption Dialogue, Judge Zondo calls for something to be done about corruption in South Africa “or we won’t have a country worth calling home.”

ESSENTIAL LISTENING!

David Lingelback and Valentina Rodriguez Guerra have a new book detailing oligarchic rule around the world. They offer a model revealing the strategies oligarchs employ to fuse wealth and power, and transition between the two. 

FROM OUR MEMBERS 

CHANDLER FOUNDATION:

Over the last few months, the IMF has quietly (and successfully) nudged countries, such as Sri Lanka, to pass transparency and anti-corruption laws. Nadishani Perera and Leslie Tsai make the case for how to make the reforms stick.

FORD FOUNDATION:

Emmanuel Kuyole, program officer on the Natural Resources and Climate Change team  evocatively explains the fight to protect Ghana's Atewa forest from mining.

LUMINATE:

Is a founding partner of the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and well understands why independent media matters now more than ever, so was excited to see approval of Statutes for the IFPIM and the formal appointment of its Board of Directors at the recent Paris Peace Forum 2023.

USAID:

Invests $30 million to combat corruption, strengthen systems, and align with President Biden's Democratic Renewal Initiative through the Global Accountability Program.

TOOLS & TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Lucy Morris delivers a pragmatic reality check to assist individuals and entities actively supporting emerging civil society organizations in Ethiopia, providing practical guidance and insights for informed and effective partnerships.

The Center for Culturally Responsive Engagement offers a new resource to better understand the range of power shifting approaches, including key features, core practices, benefits, practice examples, and considerations for effective implementation. 

While overall US giving was down in 2022, the exception was contributions to donor-advised funds, which outpaced gifts to foundations by almost $30 billion. That may pose more problems for donor transparency and accountability down the road.

The new edition of The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations dives into 2016-2019 data to provide the latest perspective on how US foundations are addressing global priorities. Perhaps no surprise that governance funding is low down the list (sadly).

TOOLS FOR FUNDERS DATABASE

ESSENTIAL READING!


Internet shutdowns in Latin America are rare, yet in recent years they have increasingly been cropping up in nuanced ways, threatening freedom of expression and silencing critical voices. See this Media Defence’s webinar on the how internet disruptions and shutdowns are taking place in the region and how can they be challenged.

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGES AND HOPE FOR QUALITY INFORMATION IN THE ELECTORAL CONTEXT

TAI’s Yery Menendez was in Paris last week for the OECD conference on information integrity. Discussions there affirmed that the pursuit of a healthy information ecosystem requires international collaboration, legislative prudence, and a steadfast commitment to safeguarding fundamental rights.

The recently concluded UNESCO General Conference celebrated and acknowledged the Tashkent Declaration on Universal Access to Information. The endorsement of this declaration during the IDUA Global Conference marked a pivotal moment, with Toby Mendel and Helen Darbishire presenting it for approval. The draft not only reaffirms the commitment to information access in the digital age but also emphasizes the need for dedicated bodies to strengthen its implementation.

However, in the next electoral year, several threats may compromise the commitments of Tashkent. One pressing issue is that the surge in malicious acts in cyberspace has prompted some states to enact alarmingly broad and vague cybercrime legislation. These responses can lead to arbitrary or discretionary applications, posing serious threats to the exercise of fundamental rights, and deepening gender inequalities.

 Disinformation in the context of elections is another challenge to address. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has published an insightful analysis series on election case law, highlighting lessons learned from dealing with disinformation in electoral disputes. 

Finally, the importance of safeguarding journalists' rights and ensuring the free flow of information during elections will be fundamental. Patrick Egwu explores how Nigerian journalists are being stripped of their accreditation, unraveling the implications for press freedom in the country. 

Amidst these challenges, a beacon of hope emerges from the efforts to uphold the integrity of information ecosystems in Ukraine. Experts share insights from a multistakeholder crisis response network and provide a model for addressing information challenges in crisis situations. 

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