FOURTH REPORT
The International Development Committee has agreed
to the following Report:—
CORRUPTION
Background
The Committee announced its inquiry into the impact
of corruption on development and developing countries on 20 June
2000. The terms of reference stated that "The Committee will
consider the policies and practices with regard to corruption
of the Department for International Development and the multilateral
agencies and nongovernmental organisations to which it contributes.
The Committee will also examine the role of transnational corporations
and other private sector actors". The Committee experienced
some difficulties during the inquiry. Although we received some
very useful evidence from the private sector, it took a great
deal of effort to find people willing to speak about corruption.
Many of those with an interest in tackling corruption or in improving
governance declined to give evidence because they felt either
they were not well enough informed or were only just beginning
their consideration. The difficulties we had in obtaining evidence
say a great deal about how little thinking there has been on this
topic in general and how much of the work is still at an early
stage.
Acknowledgements
During our inquiry written evidence was received
from a number of organisations and we have held eleven oral evidence
sessions. We are grateful to all those who gave evidence to the
inquiry and we have included a list of all those from whom we
have heard oral evidence at the end of this Report. In particular
we would like to thank Dr. Anne Cockcroft, Senior Research Fellow,
CIET International, His Excellency Prince Bola A. Ajibola, High
Commissioner for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Alhaji
Aliyu Mohammed, National Security Adviser to President Obasanjo,
Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development
Programme, Mr. Laurence Cockcroft, Chairman, Transparency International
(UK), Mr. Manzoor Hasan, Executive Director, Transparency International
in Bangladesh, Mr. Jeremy Carver CBE and Mr. George Staple CB
QC, Clifford Chance, Mr. Monty Raphael, Peters and Peters, and
the Rt Hon Clare Short MP, Secretary of State for International
Development.
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