OUR GLOBAL MOVEMENT  

 POPULAR CONTENT   

HOME WHO WE ARE  WHAT WE DO  GET INVOLVED  NEWS  DONATE Search  

You are currently - Home Who we are Our organisation FAQs on Transparency International

OUR ORGANISATION FAQS ON TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

STRATEGY 1. What does Transparency International do?

2. Why was Transparency International founded?
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES 3. How was Transparency International founded?
4. How is Transparency International financed and under which conditions does it accept funding?
WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD
5. What has Transparency International achieved?
SECRETARIAT
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS 1. WHAT DOES TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL DO?

We are a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to fighting corruption.  We are probably
ADVISORY COUNCIL best known for our Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures levels of perceived corruption around
the world. But we do much more than that. Active in nearly 100 countries and on the international stage,
MANAGEMENT we raise awareness of the devastating effects of corruption, and work with governments, businesses and
international organisations to develop effective programmes to tackle it. We are not politically aligned, nor
FAQS are we investigators, but we do push for changes in laws and behaviours. [top]

FAQs on corruption  

FAQs on Transparency International

2. WHY WAS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED?
Transparency International was born of the growing realisation in the 1980s-90s that corruption was
directly undermining efforts to fight poverty and further development in the world’s poorest countries.
While working for the World Bank, Transparency International's founder, Peter Eigen, saw that major
contracts for power plants, highways or telephone networks were awarded so as to line the pockets of
government officials with little regard for the communities they were supposed to be benefitting.

The founders of Transparency International realised that corruption wasn’t just robbing public funds
intended for community schools or hospitals, it was also weakening the economy more broadly and
making public institutions less effective. They also drew attention to the supply-side of corruption. Bribe
money was often coming from the wealthiest, and supposedly least corrupt, countries, in the form of illicit
payments made by companies to public officials, and often with the support of their home governments.
Banks, accountants and lawyers were also implicated in helping world leaders steal public funds, and
launder, store and invest them safely abroad. [top]

3. HOW WAS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED?

Transparency International was founded by a group of passionate individuals committed to stopping
corruption. Transparency International is indebted to them and all the people around the world who have
helped build our global coalition against corruption. The following 10 individuals signed the Founding
Charter of Transparency International in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 9 February 1993: Laurence
Cockcroft, Peter Conze, Peter Eigen, Fritz Heimann, Michael Hershman, Kamal Hossain, Gerry Parfitt,
Jeremy Pope, Roy Stacy and Frank Vogl. The Founding Charter was then formally recorded into the
Register of Association of Berlin Charlottenburg, in Germany on 15 June 1993 (VR 13598 B). [top]

4. HOW IS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL FINANCED AND UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS DOES IT ACCEPT FUNDING?
The majority of our income comes from government agencies along with multilateral bodies and
foundations. Other sources include the private sector and individuals. All donations to Transparency
International Secretariat over €1.000 are listed in our annual audited reports which can be found here. A
list of donors providing more than €1.000 to the TI Secretariat can also be found on our website.

The conditions under which we accept funding are captured in our donations policy which you can
download here. In summary it is Transparency International’s policy to accept funding from any donor and
whether monetary or in kind, provided that acceptance does not impair TI's independence to pursue its
mission nor endangers its integrity and reputation. [top]

5. WHAT HAS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVED?

 Our main achievement is to have placed corruption squarely on the political agenda in countless countries
across the globe. In the early 1990s, corruption was very much a taboo subject. Private and public sector
actors alike preferred to turn a blind eye to its existence, and it was never discussed at international
gatherings.

Transparency International broke that silence. Since our beginnings in 1993, we have raised awareness
about the far-reaching and devastating effects of corruption, and played a crucial role in lobbying for co-
ordinated, multilateral action against it. We have created a coalition of organisations and individuals who
are co-operating as never before to build just and honest governments, and sound and socially
responsible business practices. And we continue to strengthen our knowledge base and resource network
to assist the anti-corruption movement in its mandate.

Other achievements include:

The development of a comprehensive set of complementary indices to measure perceived levels of

corruption in any given country. Our Corruption Perceptions Index and Global Corruption
Barometer, for instance, are consistently used by academics, journalists and economists the world
over.
Successfully lobbying to bring an end to the tax deductibility of bribe payments in OECD countries.
This was written into the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention – the only international anti-corruption
instrument that focuses on the supply side of bribery. It has been signed by all 34 OECD member
states and a number of non-member countries. Each year we publish a progress report tracking the
convention’s implementation.
Actively participating in the drafting of the UN Convention against Corruption – a powerful UN
instrument that has created an international norm to create a stronger and more globally integrated
legislative framework for the fight against corruption. The UNCAC obliges signatory countries to
implement a wide range of anti-corruption measures affecting their laws, institutions and practices.
It is unique in its global coverage and the extensiveness and detail of its provisions.
Co-developing a common anti-bribery code, the Business Principles for Countering Bribery. Its
significance is acknowledged by global initiatives such as the UN Global Compact and the WEF
Partnering against Corruption Initiative. By signing up and honouring these principles companies
send a strong signal to investors, business partners and the general public that they are committed
to clean, ethical business.     
1
Co-designing RESIST (Resisting Extortions and Solicitations in International
SignTransactions)
up! to help
companies resist solicitation and extortion demands efficiently and ethically, and reduce the
likelihood that such demands are made. RESIST was developed with more than 20 companies and
organisations, and the WEF Partnering against Corruption Initiative, the International Chamber of
Commerce and the UN Global Compact. [top]

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

ABOUT US RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS NEWS AND MEDIA

About Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index What is corruption? Contacts for journalists
Our Impact Global Corruption Barometer Report corruption Features
Mission, vision, values Global Corruption Report Intergovernmental bodies Press releases
Chapters National reports Business Events
Secretariat Policy positions Defence and security Our blog
Board of directors Working papers Education Copyright queries
Funding and financials Anti-Corruption Helpdesk Sport
Jobs, tenders, internships Anti-corruption glossary Climate change
Ethics/complaint systems Publications Whistleblowing
Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft International conventions
Contact us Anti-corruption award
More focus areas