This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from a U4 Partner Agency. The U4 Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International in collaboration with the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre based at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.
Query
I am looking for existing documents that tell the story of countries that have significantly succeeded in curbing corruption.
Summary
There are no magic bullets or one-size-fits-all remedies for curbing corruption. While there is a wide range of evidence contributing to the debate on what corruption is and what methods work in curbing the phenomenon, there is far less in terms of anti-corruption success stories that have been studied (due to several factors, including methodological challenges and what anti-corruption success actually means). Nevertheless, context is key in designing and implementing anti-corruption measures, as what works in country A does not necessarily work, or may even cause harm, in country B. Increasingly, experts suggest using targeted strategies that focus on particular sectors to employ anti-corruption measures that are both feasible and where most impact can be created.
Contents
- Background
- Select anti-corruption success stories
- References
Main points
- There is limited systemic evidence for sustainable transitions away from endemic corruption and towards consistent integrity.
- Context is key – and moving away from generic best practices to better practices targeted at a particular sector or challenge can be helpful.
- Success often comes from having feasible approaches that focus on areas where maximum impact can be created.
- There are several types of success stories covering themes of curbing disinformation, changing attitudes and norms towards corruption, and involving vulnerable groups at the local level, among others.
Caveat
The following examples in this paper list only illustrative success stories as reported in the public domain. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. The anti-corruption success examples do not include the ones found in an earlier paper on Successful Anti-Corruption Reforms (2015).
Authors
Kaunain Rahman (TI), [email protected]
Reviewers
David Jackson (U4), [email protected]
Jorum Duri (TI), [email protected]
Date
03/05/2022
