Democracy That Delivers

Gary Kalman, Executive Director of Transparency International U.S., explains why Beneficial Ownership Transparency is one of the most effective tools for exposing corruption. Beneficial ownership laws reveal the real owners behind companies, even shell companies, so criminals can't anonymously enable financial crimes. Kalman, who oversees efforts to combat illicit finance, discusses the utility of building coalitions amongst business allies and other diverse stakeholders to make progress. This episode is hosted by Johannes Tonn, a Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor to CIPE for Beneficial Ownership Transparency, and Richard Christel, a former program officer at CIPE.

How can Public Banks in the Global South strengthen democracy and governance? Thomas Marois, a global expert on public banks and a political economy specialist, draws from his background working with numerous public financial institutions around the globe. Marois, a recent Reader in Development Studies at SOAS University of London and a Professor in Political Science at McMaster University, where he is working towards creating a new global center for public banking, explains how public banks can and are already helping countries around the world, notably in Vietnam, achieve their sustainability goals. Jennifer Anderson, Program Director of CIPE's Asia and Pacific Team, hosts the podcast.  

Invisible Trillions is the title of a new book by Raymond Baker, Founding President of Global Financial Integrity. Baker asserts that democracy and capitalism have progressively decoupled over the last few decades, making it easier for illicit money to flow around the globe. Baker shared specific examples and recommendations on CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast, addressing key issues such as increasing corruption and “golden visa” programs that give high-net-worth individuals residence permits in foreign countries. Eric Hontz, Director of CIPE’s Center for Accountable Investment, hosts the conversation and shares his insights. 

In recent years, Armenia’s government has put in place a robust anti-corruption infrastructure to counter what had been the country’s historically high levels of corruption. Hasmik Tigranyan, the Head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department at Armenia’s Ministry of Justice, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the progress that has been made to date. Listen now to hear Tigranyan elaborate on the government’s planned initiatives, as well as what this all means for the country’s business community. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and CIPE’s Head of Office in Armenia, Luiza Ayvazyan.

By many measures, Armenia has made significant strides in the fight against corruption since the Velvet Revolution of 2018. Eric Hacopian, a political analyst and the host of the online show Insights with Eric Hacopian, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the noticeable reduction of petty corruption in Armenia and how that transition came to be. Listen now to hear Hacopian elaborate on how certain Armenian industries, most notably the information technology sector, led the business community’s push for increased anti-corruption efforts, and describe the impact on the private sector as a whole. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and CIPE’s Head of Office in Armenia, Luiza Ayvazyan.

What really happens when a country is “grey listed” by the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? CIPE examines this with Muazu Umaru, Director of Policy and Research at the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering (GIABA) in West Africa. The discussion follows announcements that Nigeria is among the new adds to the FATF’s “grey list” of countries with deficiencies in their structural abilities to counter money laundering and terrorism financing.

CIPE’s Nigeria Country Director and anti-corruption expert Lola Adekanye hosts a discussion with Umaru to analyze the ruling’s impact on financial sectors and the economy, one of Africa’s largest. The two also talk about recommended measures the country must take to address key issues flagged by the FATF.

A CIPE partner is among those leading crisis efforts on the ground in southern Turkey, where massive February earthquakes leveled entire communities and displaced millions. TÜRKONFED (Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation) was one of the first organizations to respond after the quakes, mobilizing its vast network of associations and federations to assist with immediate relief efforts. The groups are now supporting longer-term business rebuilding efforts amid the grief and despair.

It is considered one of the worst natural disasters in recent history for a region already under great strain, due to war and a growing refugee population. TÜRKONFED’s work is one example of how business organizations around the globe are stepping in to assist governments and fill critical gaps in times of urgent need.

CIPE is spotlighting this growing trend in a new Democracy that Delivers podcast series on “Association Frontiers” hosted by Stephen Rosenlund, who leads CIPE’s internal Associations Working Group and serves as Deputy Director of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programs. In the inaugural podcast, he talks with TÜRKONFED Secretary General Ardu Batu and MENA Senior Program Officer Babak Yektafar about current efforts by the business community to assist earthquake victims and help restore lives and livelihoods.

Much anti-corruption work focuses on identifying corruption that already exists. A different approach proves more preventive: helping enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in organizations. That is the method used by Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, who joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the award-winning work being done by the Private Sector Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption (KAKI), launched in September 2020 in partnership with CIPE.

A former commissioner with Indonesia's world-renowned Commission for the Eradication of Corruption (KPK), Pak Erry shares his vision for KAKI. KAKI’s aim is to function as a unique platform that helps the private sector and government prevent corruption. Listen now to hear Pak Erry explain how KAKI provides companies with anti-bribery and anti-fraud expertise and raises integrity standards to avoid facing corruption investigations by the KPK down the road. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and Cynthia Gabriel, CIPE’s Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor based in Kuala Lumpur.

Charles Dunst, Deputy Director of Research & Analytics at The Asia Group, a Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Contributing Editor of American Purpose, joins Jennifer Anderson, Senior Program Officer for CIPE's Asia & Pacific team to discuss his new book, "Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman," which can be found here: http://linktr.ee/defeatingthedictators

@defeatingthedictators | Linktree Defeating the Dictators by Charles Dunst. Out now. linktr.ee

In his new book, Dunst writes about how the world is experiencing the lowest levels of democracy in over thirty years. Autocracy is on the rise and may appear to be an attractive option to many. Dictators disrupt democratic foundations from both within and abroad and make those who are disillusioned with current institutions think that authoritarianism could deliver them a better life than democracy could. In this episode, Dunst and Anderson discuss how to combat institutional rot, the relationship between democracy and autocracy, why citizens should be more engaged and interested, and more.

Corina Rebegea, an Anti-Corruption Advisor at the National Democratic Institute, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center (ACGC) podcast to discuss how to craft effective messaging that supports anti-corruption campaigns during windows of opportunity. Her report, The Role of Anti-Corruption Communications in Sustaining Integrity Reforms, highlights specific ways to design effective anti-corruption communication campaigns to earn popular support for government integrity reforms. Drawing on her years of experience developing strategies to promote good governance and counter disinformation, Rebegea reviews past research and points to ways to cultivate hope in place of cynicism. 

Listen now to hear Rebegea share emerging lessons from anti-corruption campaigns and potential avenues for future research. One major finding in the review is that sometimes anti-corruption campaigns can actually backfire and potentially even create apathy among citizens about the fight against corruption. These takeaways can help guide reformers during windows of opportunity in tailoring their anti-corruption messaging to avoid common pitfalls. This episode is hosted by Richard Christel, a Program Officer with ACGC who leads the Anti-Corruption Rapid Response Program.  

Dr. Andrea Bonime-Blanc, author and CEO of GEC Risk Advisory, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss her new joint publication with CIPE, the Risk to Value Guide: How Emerging Market Businesses Can Transform New Risks into Value. Bonime-Blanc has made a name for herself, including in her acclaimed 2020 book, Gloom to Boom, for articulating how firms can flip the script and convert risks into opportunities. Listen now to hear Dr. Bonime-Blanc discuss the guide and this year’s top sustainability “mega trends” that civil society, business, and government leaders need to be aware of. This episode is co-hosted by Michele Crymes, Program Director with ACGC, and Louisa Tomar, Program Director on the Global Programs team with a focus on the intersection of technology and democracy. 

Serhiy Derkach, an anti-corruption lawyer who led the Department of Corruption Prevention and Detection at Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) from 2020 to early 2023, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast this week to share about the agency's work both before and since Russia's invasion. Derkach, who was named Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development in February, describes how the NACP has pursued its mandate since being created during Ukraine's 2014 Revolution of Dignity. Today, the NACP continues to support anti-corruption compliance efforts in both the public and private sectors. The agency also maintains various IT platforms to address corruption, from a sanctions portal to assets declaration registries and a reporting corruption hotline. Listen now to hear Derkach share how the war has affected the NACP's work, the agency's place in the country's anti-corruption system, and the crucial role Ukraine's civil society organizations are playing in establishing a culture of integrity in Ukraine. This episode is hosted by Katya Lysova, Program Director for Europe & Eurasia who oversees CIPE’s business integrity programming in the region.

The Women and Girls Empowered Consortium (WAGE), in partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) published CIPE’s newest Democracy that Delivers podcast, “Reducing Barriers to Women’s Economic Empowerment in Moldova.” Elena Ratoi, CIPE Program Officer, and Carolina Bugaian, Board Member of the Association of Female Entrepreneurs of Moldova (AFAM) discussed the development of the Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Republic of Moldova, whose mission is to reduce barriers to women's economic empowerment. Bugaian and Ratoi discussed key successes the Alliance has accomplished in the past year and the importance of women’s business advocacy initiatives. They also discussed one of the prevailing barriers to women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and how the Alliance works to combat gender-based violence and its damaging effects in Moldova.

Tim Robinson, Chief Compliance Officer at BHP, joined CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center (ACGC) podcast on the margins of December’s International Anti-Corruption Conference to discuss why BHP - one of the world’s largest mining companies - has chosen to actively prioritize integrity and business ownership transparency with its partners and global supply chain. As he shares, "effective anti-corruption measures and an effective anti-corruption environment...helps promote a level playing field...[and] prevents corrupt companies from gaining an unfair and illegal advantage when competing.” Listen now to hear Robinson discuss the specific initiatives that BHP is a part of, including beneficial ownership initiatives and commitments to a sustainable transition to a clean energy future. This episode is co-hosted by Michele Crymes, ACGC Program Director, and Ben Schmidt, Program Officer with ACGC.

Oleksii Sobolev, the recently named Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast this week to discuss Ukraine's lauded innovations in procurement transparency and accountability. Recorded a few weeks ago while he was still the Chief Executive Officer of Prozorro.Sale, Sobolev provides an insider story of Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen integrity, market competition, and public trust in the government as it developed and launched a uniquely transparent system for government purchases and the sale of government assets, which has already helped process $2.5 billion in transactions involving over 55,000 participants and continues to do so amid the ongoing war. Listen now to hear Sobolev share how the platform connects to over 40 different e-commerce websites - and stores all its information in a centralized and public database - and how interested governments can adopt the same system in their home countries. This episode is hosted by Katya Lysova, Senior Program Officer for Eurasia who is responsible for overseeing CIPE's business integrity programming in the region.

Cheikhou Oumar, President of the Observatory for Monitoring Economic Development Indicators in Africa (OSIDEA), joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss Senegal's historic push for ownership transparency in the extractives sector and beyond. Oumar shares his experience at the center of trilateral negotiations with government, business, and civil society as the country has launched and mandated compliance to its first-ever beneficial ownership registry, which currently includes 130 companies and counting. Listen now to hear how the West African country of 16 million has taken on some of the biggest private interests in its $24 billion economy by requiring them to share their ultimate owners, how the private sector has reacted, and what OSIDEA has been doing to raise awareness about how beneficial ownership transparency helps combat corruption and level the playing field in the economy. This episode is hosted by Richard Christel, Program Officer with ACGC and lead for the Anti-Corruption Rapid Response Program.

Rainer Heufers, Executive Director of the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) joins Adam Sachs, Program Officer for CIPE's Global Programs team to discuss digital governance and how to inform better policies through the T20 process.

Against the backdrop of Indonesia’s presidency of the G20, CIPE supported CIPS as it served as a co-chair for the T20's Taskforce 4: Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture. CIPS also developed two policy papers papers - G20 Framework for Repurposing Agricultural Policy Support to meet Global Climate and Food Security Goals and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows in the Development Context - which were included in the official G20 repository.

In this episode, Heufers and Sachs discuss how CIPS provided policy analysis and fostered stakeholder engagement in the months leading up to the T20 summit and beyond.