TI criticizes Aid Forum communiqué…Says it fell short of firm anti-corruption commitments

Transparency International (TI) has voiced its disappointment at the outcome of the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which closed on Friday, in Accra. The meeting concluded with a few firm and time-bound commitments on fighting corruption, hence doing little to solve global poverty.

TI still believes that civil society and donor initiatives on greater aid transparency give cause for hope.

According to TI, despite commitments of support by many attendees for aid transparency and accountability, the Forum's communiqué- 'The Accra Action Agenda,' ultimately fell short of specific timelines and concrete pledges to increase accountability and transparency in the development process.

The corruption fighting organization, stressed that lack of progress threatens to undermine aid as an effective tool for supplying medicines to clinics, building schools and attacking the root of extreme poverty, which plagues more than 1.4 billion people around the world.

"The big step forward at the Accra Forum was the focus on transparency, both in the run-up and during conference deliberations," said Craig Fagan, a Senior Policy Coordinator for TI. "Unfortunately, though, this did not translate into the firm, specific and time-bound commitments on accountability, transparency and fighting corruption, which is needed to make aid more effective."

According to TI, figures show that in Africa alone, more than US $148 billion (?102 billion) is lost annually to corruption. “Total global official aid flows in 2007 amounted to US $104 billion (?72 billion),” it explained.

The Berlin based organization said in a press release that although the official proceedings betrayed earlier momentum towards greater accountability and transparency in the development process, there were rays of hope from both the civil society and donor communities. Ahead of the Forum, a group of civil society organisations – including ONE (formerly DATA) and ActionAid - launched the 'Publish What You Fund Initiative,' which lays out the principles for greater transparency in the delivery and funding of aid.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.