On February 11, the Transparency International released its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, rankings of which are used as a proxy for assessing the levels of public sector corruption.
Since its inception in 1995, the Index has become a leading global indicator of public sector corruption. It ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The scores reflect the views of experts and businesspeople, not the public.
While 32 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, the report shows that148 countries have stayed stagnant or gotten worse during the same period.
The global average of 43 has stood unchanged for years and over two-thirds of countries' score remained below 50. The index uses more than a dozen sources of information to score countries on a scale of 0-100 points, where 100 is very clean and 0 is highly corrupt.
For the Arab countries, the report showcases a “welcome trend”, especially those in the Gulf region, showing significant progress in technological solutions in public administration, aiming to improve transparency.
The UAE ranked the highest among Arab states with a score of 68/100. While Oman is up 12 points to 55 points, its highest-ever score, Bahrain registered a big 11-point increase to 53/100, Saudi Arabia scored a seven-point increase, Qatar improved one place to 59/100 and Kuwait stayed unchanged at 46/100.
These achievements underscore the unwavering commitment of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to strengthening their anti-corruption frameworks and governance structures.
“In the Gulf Cooperation Council, investment in technological solutions to public administration, known as e-governance, has been introduced. These solutions tackle corrupt practices such as bribes by removing middlemen and provide citizens with more transparency through digitisation”, the Berlin-based agency said while releasing the report.
The GCC governments have long released ambitious economic and developmental “visions” and goals for the future. As part of their proactive efforts, all of them have adopted e-governance and digitalisation programs to streamline public administration, and curb corruption.
E-procurement systems have played a pivotal role in minimising bribery and ensuring greater transparency in budget allocations. Heads of these countries recognise that embracing advanced technologies paves the way for entirely new business models.
Oman's digital strategy, as outlined in its "Vision 2040," aims to leverage technology as a key driver for economic diversification, sustainable development, and improved quality of life by focusing on building a robust digital infrastructure, enhancing e-governance, promoting innovation in various sectors.
In recent years, the GCC countries have changed their approach to corruption and bribery, with relevant laws now in place to attract international investment and promote confidence in the region. They acknowledge that corruption practices are a real burden to a healthy economic environment.
The countries have also ratified and agreed to the UN Convention Against Corruption, as well as the Arab Convention Against Corruption. The GCC has also appointed a ministerial committee to combat corruption in the member countries.
The committee purses the perpetrators of cross-border corruption crimes, and the revenues resulting from their criminal activities, and to take precautionary measures on them, under laws in force in each country.
Nevertheless, what Transparency International is very important, “even in countries with relatively low perceived corruption, the influence of lobbying presents additional challenges”.
However, the core focus of the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index is the threat that corruption poses to climate action and how undue influence and business interests prevent the adoption of necessary and ambitious policies and expose poorer nations to further corrupt practices.
“We must urgently root out corruption before it fully derails meaningful climate action. Governments and multilateral organisations must embed anti-corruption measures into climate efforts to safeguard finance, rebuild trust and maximise impact,” stresses Maíra Martini, CEO of Transparency International s.
While billions of people around the world face the daily consequences of climate change, resources for adaptation and mitigation remain inadequate. Corruption intensifies these challenges and poses additional threats to vulnerable communities, the report adds.
The writer is a freelance journalist and author who worked in Oman and India
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