Posts

Governance lessons from responses to Covid-19

By David Lewis First published on Maverick Citizen The formulation and implementation of economic policy are too important to be left to state officials and market participants alone. It requires the intelligence and knowledge of the citizens. The most effective source of the intelligence that should guide economic and social policy-making are community activists and Read more >

Why we will not engage with G20’s civil society process in 2020

• A group of protesters holding placards bearing the slogan Stop Arming Saudi Arabia. Image: Alisdare Hickson. Issued by Transparency International Secretariat The annual G20 summit often seems like a talking shop for the world’s most powerful governments. The leaders of 19 of the largest national economies plus the European Union get together, shake hands Read more >

Is transparency in mining languishing?

By Mashudu MasuthaFirst published in Business Day A lack of beneficial ownership transparency is a key threat to sustainability within the sector, as is an increase in human rights violations that tends to occur with secret owners The latest data from the just-released Worldwide Governance Indicators report confirms that with some exceptions, resource-rich countries face Read more >

Resisting the looters who stole our human rights

Media Statement: Civil Society Working Group The struggle against state capture and corruption in South Africa is a struggle for human rights. This is why the current revelations at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture (the Zondo Commission) are important – they lay bare the various networks of looters in the public and private Read more >

Open Government Week aims to curb distrust in govt

An open, transparent, accountable and ethical government is possible when citizens, civil society and governments come together. This week, 7 – 11 May, is Open Government Week (OGW), an occasion during which countries belonging to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) will focus on developing the culture and practice of transparency, participation and accountability both in Read more >

African leaders loot with same fervour as colonialists

Corruption is well-entrenched in Africa, and those few leaders who have decided to actively tackle it – beyond just talking about tackling it – have publicly admitted that the task is a lot harder than they expected. Last year’s Panama Papers breakthrough revealed the names of numerous African politicians and their friends and families, who Read more >

Civil society freedoms and rights under threat

South Africa is one of a number of countries where civil society is not fully able to enjoy its freedoms and rights. The 2017 CIVICUS State of Civil Society report shows that across the globe, civil society space is under unprecedented levels of threat. “Around the world, it is becoming increasingly dangerous to challenge power, Read more >

Time for govts to accept that civil society is not the enemy

By Cathal Gilbert First published on Al Jazeera There is a growing list of critical problems in the G20’s inbox, namely a faltering global economy, terrorist threats in a majority of G20 member states, and a patched-up climate change agreement. Solving these problems will take more than 20 heads of state and their economic ministers. Read more >