Association Transparency International, in its 2022 edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published this Tuesday, considers the world an increasingly less safe place and links the rise of the problem to the rise of corruption.
The index’s data, combined with data from the Global Peace Index organized by Transparency International, aims to demonstrate the continuing decline in global peace and the clear link between violence and corruption.
For the organization, the CPI values The corruption disclosed today hurts governments and hinders their ability to protect citizens, while fueling public discontent and fueling increased violence.
The president of Transparency International, Delia Ferreira Rubio, argues that the solution to this problem involves governments working together to eradicate corruption and avoid discrimination at all levels of society.
“Governments have failed to act collectively against this situation, fueling increased violence and conflict and endangering people everywhere,” Rubio argues in a commentary on the 2023 edition of the IPC.
Launched in 1995, the index has become the leading global measure of corruption in the public sector. 180 countries and territories based on their levels of corruption using data from 13 different sources, including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, private risk assessment firms, think tanks and others.
The IPC ranks countries based on perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, on a scale of zero (most corrupt) to 100 (most clean).
This year’s edition of the report reveals that the global average score has remained unchanged for the eleventh year in a row across 43 countries and regions, with two-thirds of countries having serious corruption problems with scores below 50.
A Denmark takes the lead Both Finland and New Zealand are on the list of least corrupt countries with 90 points and 87 points.
These countries have strong democratic institutions and high respect for human rights, making them among the most peaceful countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index.
In contrast, and the title of the list The most corrupt countries in the worldSouth Sudan (13 points), Syria (12 points) and Somalia (12 points) appear, all engaged in protracted armed conflicts.
According to Transparency International, eight countries improved their scores over the same period, including Ireland, South Korea and the Maldives, with data showing that the fight against corruption is effective through the use of appropriate and consistent measures.
This year, 26 countries, including Qatar, Guatemala and the United Kingdom, experienced record declines in the index.
The UK (73 points) dropped five points to its lowest score after being embroiled in a series of political scandals, including revelations about ministerial misconduct.
About Portugal (62 points)Transparency International considers that the “new anti-corruption strategy” launched without key guidelines and the maintenance of the Golden Visa program increased the risks of corruption.
For Transparency International, the report also demonstrates that EU countries that ignored or reversed anti-corruption measures continued to fall in the IPC, as was the case with Hungary and Poland.
Transparency International believes the relationship between violence and corruption is a vicious cycle, arguing that corrupt governments lack the capacity to protect citizens and that public discontent is more likely to escalate into violence.
For Transparency International, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of the dangers posed by corruption and the lack of accountability of governments, as Russian kleptocrats amassed vast wealth in the service of President Vladimir Putin, resulting in lucrative deals with the state. , in protecting its economic interests.
Another example is South Sudan, where decades of conflict and corruption have led to a deep humanitarian crisis, with more than half of the population facing food insecurity, and a recent report revealed a fraud scheme orchestrated by a network of corrupt politicians. Assistance for food, fuel and medicine.
Furthermore, the combination of corruption, dictatorship and economic crisis in Brazil proved to be an unstable combination, with former President Jair Bolsonaro’s tenure marked by the dismantling of anti-corruption structures and the use of corrupt schemes to favor political allies, ending transparency. International.
