Loading...
[Global corruption report 2001] West europe and north america
Lashmar, Paul
Lashmar, Paul
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Keywords
GE Subjects
Collections
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
West Europe and North America include many of the world’s most economically powerful countries, with close and well-established economic and cultural links. Together they contribute nearly 70 per cent of world exports. But the responsibility to the rest of the world that such power brings, not least in the area of preventing bribery, is often not fulfilled. And at home too, corruption afflicts many countries, not least in political party funding. The extent of public sector corruption, particularly common in the contracting and execution of public works, varies markedly between countries and institutions. In Scandinavia and Canada, it appears to be negligible. Observers report much higher levels of corruption in a number of other countries, including Belgium, Greece, Italy and Portugal.1 But recent cases of corruption involving senior politicians in Germany and prosecutions of police and state officials in the US reveal corruption in countries that had a relatively clean reputation in the past. Turkey, where democracy is fragile, has set about the task of tackling corruption, but, as was evident in its 2001 economic crisis, it has a long way to go. Private sector companies from right across the region have been identified with the bribery of foreign officials, usually in developing or transition countries. Until recently many governments in West Europe and North America implicitly condoned bribery for foreign contracts, the US being a notable exception since the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 1977. Approaches are changing in both the public and private sectors. Some intergovernmental institutions and their member states are emerging as leaders of international anti-corruption efforts. According to the OECD, ‘corruption has moved to the top of the global political agenda and its dramatic impact on economic development and its corrosive effect on political stability and democratic political institutions has become increasingly obvious’
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Book chapter
Date
2001
Identifier
ISBN
393571100X
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder