1 May 2009

Transparency International (New Zealand)’s Chair, Gerald McGhie, believes that the current financial crisis is a singular test for Transparency International. 

“It will not be so much how well TI analyses the issues (though this will be important) but whether we can make a distinctive contribution to the debate.  TI must be distinguishable from the many other submissions that will be presented to global leaders”.

Transparency International’s contribution should centre on both integrity/ethics and transparency/oversight.  With trillions committed to relief measures – the G20 committed over $1 trillion through the World Bank, IMF and export credit agencies, particularly for the developing world  – both of these issues will be key to accountability for funds and restoring public trust.  

“We should not expect the ethical/moral dimension to either take a premier place or in itself be a major determinant effective in dealing with the current downturn.  What we will see is that without referring to the conceptual/ethical/moral base one is leaving a rather wide gap.”