Most anti-corruption summits fail. And the words of failure sound very similar to the words of success, in the communiqués and press conferences that follow. In this Manifesto, we are publishing words that mean something. They have been gathered from individuals and institutions around the world, from business and civil society who desperately want this summit to be a success. They represent a plea to the Heads of Government who will gather in London on 12 May 2016, to change the world we live in.
Change needs to happen. As time goes by, it becomes more and more evident that corruption inflicts devastating damage on societies and economies, a cost served on ordinary people and the businesses that underpin economic development. Governments have the power to change that, but not all governments want to. That is the power of this summit. It is a collection of governments that have been gathered together, as a community that claim to want change.
The contributors in the pages that follow give compelling reasons about why the Heads of Government coming to this summit should act now. Reducing levels of corruption creates a better investment climate for business, restores trust in governments and provides security, prosperity and justice for citizens: what's not to like?
I congratulate the UK Prime Minister on having the vision and ambition to convene a summit on what is possibly the world's most enduring political and economic challenge. I join the other contributors in hoping that he and his fellow Heads of Government find the courage to enact the change that people and businesses so badly need.
Robert Barrington
Executive Director — Transparency International UK
We've brought together leaders from across the world to tell us what they think about international corruption and how to tackle it.
