2021 Earth Earth Corrupt Visitor reveals Serious Region and Democracy and Democracy in Corrupt Region and Democracy in the last 10 years
Globally, progress has slowed down, with more than 70 percent of countries scoring below 50
January 25, 2022, Berlin (06:01 CET/00:01 EST)
The Corruption Perceptions Index (ATI) announced today by Transparency International, an international civil society coalition against corruption, shows that there has been no significant change in the level of corruption in the world. 70 percent of countries in the Asia-Pacific region were judged to have declined, made little progress, or made no progress over the past 10 years. As for Mongolia, the economic system collapse during the pandemic, the lack of transparency in the industry and the increase in credit risk have resulted in a low assessment from some sources. However, it can be concluded that some positive trends have been observed in the field of judiciary and law enforcement since the government started taking measures against debt.
L., head of Transparency International - Mongolian NGO. The Star-Od pointed out: "Mongolia reached an all-time low of 35 points in 2019 and has remained stagnant since then. However, some notable improvements show that the government is trying to regain its fight against corruption. Asia Region A new law to protect human rights defenders, the first of its kind in the country, and to create a legal framework to protect whistleblowers and investigative journalists is finally moving forward.“
While significant strides have been made in reducing basic services and petty corruption across the Asia-Pacific region, large-scale corruption and weak institutional and legal frameworks are holding the region back. China /45/ and India /40/, the most populous countries not only in the world, but also in the region, scored poorly for restricting human rights by suppressing protests. Even high-scoring Australia /73/ has encouraged transnational corruption with lax financial regulation.The covid-19 epidemic in 2021 made the problems faced by countries even more difficult, starting with countries such as Singapore/85/, Bangladesh /26/, and Cambodia /23/, using the epidemic to tighten control and weaken the government's responsibility.
"In the last 10 years, the people of the countries of Asia and the Pacific region have launched major anti-corruption movements, but little change has occurred. In order to stay in power, populist and authoritarian leaders distort anti-corruption ideas and activities, and restrict civil rights by banning public demonstrations and gatherings. Therefore, due to weak anti-corruption institutions (in some countries, there are no anti-corruption institutions at all), the region is poor in terms of fighting corruption and upholding human rights," noted Ilham Mohamed, Asia Regional Advisor of Transparency International.
Taking into account the current situation of global corruption and based on the findings of ATI, Transparency International has issued a set of recommendations. Corruption itself can be a multifaceted problem, but we know how to deal with it. Governments of all countries should immediately take the following measures in order to fight corruption, stop serious violations of human rights and the deterioration of democracy. It includes:
First, to provide the authority to impose and impose responsibility. The government must roll back any disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly since the start of the crisis. Justice for crimes against human rights defenders is a priority.
Second, to restore and then strengthen control over power. State oversight bodies, such as anti-corruption agencies and supreme audit institutions, need to be independent, well-resourced, and empowered to detect and punish illegal activities. It is right that Parliament and the judiciary should be vigilant to prevent overreach of executive power.
Third, fight all forms of transnational corruption. Governments in advanced economies need to address systemic weaknesses that allow cross-border corruption to go undetected or undetected. It is important to close loopholes and loopholes in the law, regulate the professional activity of financial crimes, and ensure that corrupt people and their accomplices do not escape justice.
Fourth, ensure the right to access information on government spending. As part of its efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, the government must fulfill its commitments in the Declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly in June 2021 and include anti-corruption provisions in public procurement. The most transparent and open budget expenditures protect the lives and livelihoods of the people.
Daniel Erickson, Executive Director of Transparency International, said: “In an authoritarian regime where the power of government, business and the media is in the hands of the few, social movements will be the last to control power. Teachers, shopkeepers, students, and ordinary people from all walks of life have the will to ultimately create accountability.”
Transparency International urges governments to fulfill their commitment to fight corruption and protect human rights! Also, I urge everyone around the world to join us in demanding change!!
ASIA AND PACIFIC SPECIALTIES
ATI ranks the perception of public sector corruption in 180 countries and regions from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
For the third year in a row, the Asia-Pacific region averaged 45 points, with more than 70 percent of countries scoring below 50.
• New Zealand leads the region (88) and the world, while Singapore (85) and Hong Kong (76) are the top 3 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
• North Korea /16/, Afghanistan /16/, Cambodia /23/ got the lowest points in the region.
• Australia /73/, Philippines /33/, Thailand /35/ received their historically lowest scores.
In the last decade, a total of 24 countries in the region have either decreased their score or made no real progress.
• Since 2012, Australia /73/, Mongolia /35/, Philippines /33/ countries have clearly fallen in ATI.
• During this period, 7 countries in the region have significantly improved their scores. South Korea /62/, China /45/, East Timor /41/, Vietnam /39/, Nepal/33/, Myanmar /28/, Afghanistan /16/.
See this link for country-by-country scores, changes over time, and regional analysis. https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2021-asia-pacific
CORRUPTION, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
Few countries have made fragile progress in controlling corruption, but serious restrictions on civil rights, such as the right to freedom of association and expression, threaten human rights and allow corruption to spread.
• Since President Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 election, the Philippines' score has fallen to 33 after severely restricting the rights of association and free expression. The country has a very high rate of murders of human rights defenders with 20 murders in 2020.
• South Korea /62/ has been growing steadily since 2017 and has increased by 6 points. The democracy is well-represented and has a regular rotation of power. In such a system of governance, human rights are respected and civil society remains strong.
• India is a country to watch out for, even though it is stagnating on the /40/ index. Weakening mechanisms to curb corruption have raised concerns about healthy democracy, the balanced distribution of institutional power and the erosion of fundamental freedoms. Journalists and civil society organizations are being targeted for speaking out against the government.
• For the first time since 2005, Fiji /55/ again appeared on the ATI. Since then, Fiji has taken a series of major political actions and anti-corruption reforms, but much remains to be done. Civil rights remain limited, according to CIVICUS. Under the country's law, the government has direct authority to control the media and has the right to impose large fines on critics, creating an atmosphere of fear among journalists and preventing them from reporting corruption.
• Australia /73/ saw the largest decline in 10 years with a total of 12 points, and this year is at an all-time low. Laws and regulations are inadequate for the sector and there is no adequate lobbying regulation and no national integrity commission. In addition to domestic corruption, lax anti-money laundering laws can spread corruption in the Pacific region, potentially leading to the exploitation of lax policies by Australian-registered businesses operating in the region.
• Singapore /85/ ranks high in the region, and China /45/ improved by 6 points compared to 2018. Violations of human rights, freedom of the press, and freedom of expression continue, but effective control of corruption comes at the price of fundamental rights for long-term stability. While Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption stance and curbs on the types of corruption that stifle economic growth have had some success, they have created a new type of corruption in which high-level officials redistribute wealth among themselves. Limited freedoms in Singapore mean that the fight against corruption is closely tied to the political will of elites, and it is easy to change.
Regarding the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
Since its inception in 1995, the Corruption Perceptions Index has become the world's leading indicator of public sector corruption. The index evaluates 180 countries and regions around the world based on estimates of public sector corruption by the World Bank, World Economic Forum, risk assessment consulting firms, academic research institutions and 13 other external sources. ATI scores reflect the opinions of analysts and business owners only.
The ATI calculation process is regularly reviewed to ensure accuracy. The latest monitoring was carried out in 2017 by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission. All scores from 2012 onwards are comparable. See additional information: The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated
Note to Media Editors:
• Asia-Pacific region analysis with more detailed information.
• See ATI results of other countries here.
• Full details and methodology available.
• See Transparency International's 2021 ATI report with recommendations.
For more information about a specific country, please contact the Transparency International National Branch.
For more information on regional and global results, please contact Transparency International's headquarters in Berlin:press@transparency.org