International Monetary Fund
On 2 August, the IMF published a policy paper on the policy to be led by the organization in supporting good governance goals and projects, while assessing the implementation and updating its 1997 guidelines. This publication highlights the importance of a new multifaceted approach to its anticorruption strategy but also axes in order to strengthen its commitments on the matter. They include the assessment of the impact of corruption with an increased analytical work in order to identify the main characteristics of the country in this field, the macroeconomic impact assessment on 3 to 5 years on some aspects such as the income gap. An additional axis lies in strengthening counsel to countries where corruption justifies the IMF support to develop anticorruption strategies in collaboration with other organizations such as the World Bank.
United Nations
From 22 to 25 August, the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime organized a European preparatory meeting before the creation in 2018 of a Global Judicial Integrity Network. The aim of this network is to enable judicial authorities, in member countries, to guarantee the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Council of Europe
On 1 August, the Group of States against corruption (GRECO) published the second interim compliance report for Latvia with regard to prevention of corruption for members of the Parliament, judges and prosecutors. It highlighted progresses with six out of the 14 recommendations that are now being implemented in a satisfying way. The GRECO welcomed measures taken to strengthen the independence of the Corruption prevention and combatting bureau (KNAB).
On 8 August, the GRECO published its fourth round evaluation report for Ukraine with regard to the prevention of corruption for members of the Parliament, judges and prosecutors. The GRECO recommended that all guarantees of independence and efficiency are granted to anticorruption authorities, whether the National anticorruption bureau (NABU), the National agency for corruption prevention (NACP) or the special anticorruption prosecutor office, and to give them the means to fulfill their missions. It also asked more efforts with regard to transparency of members of the Parliament, legislative footprint, but also prevention of conflicts of interests and lobbying regulation.
European Union
Margarida Silva, researcher and advocate for Corporate Europe Observatory published a column in The Parliament Magazine to stress upon concerns on the European Commission strategy in the framework of the negotiations of the new interinstitutional agreement for a common mandatory lobbying register. She highlighted that the Commission proposal excludes indirect lobbying, which the Parliament would like to include, but the latter is reluctant to prevent any contact with lobbyists that would not be registered. The Council of the European Union refused to join the current scheme and seems to be still discussing the legislative tool used, an interinstitutional agreement, and the potential inclusion of Member States permanent representations in the scheme. The advocate voiced concerned on the weak progress and the absence of information on the negotiation agenda.
Open Government Partnership
On 16 August, Germany published its first national action plan in the framework of its participation in the Open Government Partnership. It included its will to become a global example in the field of open administrative data, especially within federal institutions. Its commitments cover opening and reuse of data in the fields of development aid, mobility or urban planning, environment policies, among others.