BRIEF Fighting Corruption by Improving Transparency and Access to Information
Using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), in the last decades countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay have designed and created electronic platforms that make information about procurement and government officials’ personal assets public. These electronic platforms have guaranteed an effective and transparent flow of public information, thereby empowering citizens to identify and demand action against corruption and allowing oversight agencies to detect and sanction public officials engaging in corruption.
ELLA Reviews: As part of ongoing efforts to ensure quality in our research and communications, the ELLA team asks recognised experts to conduct reviews of the knowledge materials in a given theme and produce a short written response.
Read this ELLA Review of the ELLA knowledge materials on Transparency and Access to Information, written by Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy.
http://tinyurl.com/cczocjs
Key Lessons:
- Implementing transparency and access to information electronic platforms in sensitive areas such as the procurement process or to monitor public officials’ personal assets can reduce corruption.
- Civil society’s monitoring of procurement and assets information proved to successfully contribute to identifying corruption.
- Political will and the strengthening of public agencies’ technical, institutional, and financial capacities are important for the success of these practices.
ELLA knowledge material produced by:
Other ELLA knowledge materials relating to Transparency and Access to Information:
GUIDES AND BRIEFS
SPOTLIGHT SUMMARIES
MULTIMEDIA
REVIEWS
LEARNING ALLIANCE HIGHLIGHTS
NON-ELLA PUBLICATIONS