Background and Overview:
Corruption is one of the leading reasons for the ongoing political and economic failures of many
developing countries. Corruption impedes the development of markets, drives away investment, increases
the costs of doing business, and undermines the rule of law. The need for an increased emphasis on fighting
corruption is more evident today than ever before, as global corruption flows, according to World Bank
estimates, have now surpassed $1 trillion annually.
The attitudes toward corruption are changing. The business community is no longer blaming corruption -
and placing the burden of combating it - solely on government officials. The emerging consensus is that
anti-corruption efforts should combine initiatives from the business community, the public sector, and
civil society. More importantly, combating corruption requires more than grandiose statements and the
removal of corrupt public officials. It requires concrete action to change the incentive systems that
sustain bribery and extortion.
CIPE’s anti-corruption work targets both the supply and demand sides of corruption - those who demand
bribes in exchange for services and those who supply bribes and demand preferential treatment. On the supply
side, CIPE and its partner organizations address private sector participation in corruption by working to
create an environment where corrupt activities become unsustainable. This can be achieved in large part
by building and improving corporate governance mechanisms.
On the demand side, CIPE’s programs seek to reform ambiguous legal systems, implement standards
for government agencies, make a link between cultural norms and rule of law, and change laws to mitigate
government employees’ opportunities to exert discretionary (and unsupervised) authority throughout various
levels of government.
CIPE's Feature Service Magazine
on Anti-corruption in Arabic.
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Programs and Resources:
From CIPE Partners
Speeches and Presentations
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