Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group's Anticorruption for Development Global Program (AC4D) and the International Corruption Hunters Alliance (ICHA) invite you to the Partnerships for Anticorruption Global Forum, scheduled for April 8-9, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Corruption is a major impediment to development as it diverts resources from more productive uses and negatively affects shared prosperity on a livable planet by disproportionally benefiting those in power.
Aware of corruption's high societal and environmental costs, the World Bank Group has evolved to take on corruption¡¯s transnational dimensions, better tailor approaches to different contexts, and adopt a more integrative approach to strengthen focus on results and outcomes, by mobilizing new knowledge, data, tools, and partnerships. Achieving long-term economic growth and shared prosperity requires us to work together with partners in government, international organizations, private sector, academia, and civil society to address corruption and its corrosive impacts.
The Forum will feature a keynote address by , Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 2024 Nobel Laureate. Professor Acemoglu¡¯s session on will be livestreamed here.
ICHA and AC4D will bring together 300 partners, leaders, and practitioners from government, academia, civil society, the private sector, and other international development organizations working on anticorruption and integrity.
The 2025 Global Forum which will focus on the importance of partnerships in collectively advancing the fight against corruption will be streamed online and will include panel discussions on critical topics such as Accountability, Institutions and the Rule of Law, Beneficial Ownership Transparency and Fighting Illicit Financial Flows, Procurement Systems and Private Partnerships, and Data, Technology, and Climate Change.
The Forum will be hosted by the World Bank Group and co-hosted by , the the , the , the , the , the , and the .
We look forward to your participation. Register today by .
Day 1 Agenda: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
TIME & LOCATION | SESSION DETAILS |
7.30 AM - 9.00 AM MC Front lobby | Registration?and Breakfast Note: Registration ends at 8:45 am |
9.00 AM - 9.15 AM Preston Auditorium | Getting Started - Overview of Agenda; Expected Outcomes
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9.15 AM - 10.00 AM Preston Auditorium | Welcome & Introduction: The Role of Partnerships in Curbing Corruption Speakers:
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10.00 AM - 10.15 AM Preston Auditorium | Opening Remarks
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10.15 AM - 11.15 AM | Plenary 1: The Role of Elected/Public Officials in the Fight Against Corruption This panel discussion aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that elected/public officials play in combating corruption and to foster a dialogue on effective approaches to strengthening partnerships in integrity and accountability in governance.?This session will explore the critical role that elected/public officials play in combating corruption within their jurisdictions and to identify effective strategies, challenges, and best practices in this ongoing struggle.?? Speakers:
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11.15 AM - 11.45 AM MC Front Lobby | Coffee Break |
11.45 AM - 12.45 PM | Plenary 2: Beneficial Ownership Transparency and Fighting Illicit Financial Flows The abuse of shell companies has been a central obstacle to anticorruption efforts for decades. Anonymous corporate vehicles are a preferred instrument of those seeking to launder illicit gains, evade taxes on lawful earnings or avoid sanctions. This plenary will examine country efforts and international initiatives to curb illicit financial flows through increased transparency of beneficial ownership information. The discussion will focus on country execution of international standards and what this means in practice, challenges and obstacles to effective implementation, and the impact on domestic resource mobilization and development.? Speakers:
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12:45 PM - 1:45 PM Preston Auditorium | Plenary 3 ¨C State Capture and Corruption?| Speakers:??
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1.45 PM - 2.50 PM | Lunch with World Bank Executive Directors |
3.00 PM - 4.00 PM | Parallel Sessions |
MC-C1-100 | 1. Fighting Corruption in a Conflict Zone Treating corruption as a second order problem that takes a backseat to peace and stability can have far-reaching repercussions once peace is achieved. An institution that becomes fundamentally corrupt during a period of conflict will likely be resistant to change once peace is established. Capacity building and strengthening governance in state institutions must continue during times of conflict.?In terms of actively investigating corruption, there are several adaptive techniques that can be employed to navigate conflict zones, including remote surveillance technology (including satellite imagery), the use of local third-party monitoring agents, promoting citizen engagement and local civil societies and, to the greatest extent possible, supporting local investigative journalism.? Routine methods of fighting fraud and corruption, such as conducting audits or field visits, can be difficult or even impossible to pursue in conflict zones. This session will seek to address the following questions: Do anticorruption efforts have to be suspended during civil or military conflicts? Does corruption become an ancillary or second order problem that takes a backseat to peace and stability? Or are there viable alternatives to continue to scrutinize corruption? Panelists:
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MC 4-800 | 2. International Cooperation,?and the Use of Innovative Legal Instruments to Recover the Proceeds of Mozambique¡¯s Tuna Fleet Corruption Scandal? This session will follow the sequence of the story of the tune boats scandal, how the Republic of Mozambique became the victim to "Tuna Bonds Scandal",? and how it decided to use civil litigation powers to win a $3.1 billion lawsuit in London's High Court against UAE shipbuilder Privinvest for allegedly paying over $200 million in bribes to, inter alia, Mozambican officials and key Credit Suisse bankers from 2013 to 2016. Two London lawyers will examine how they came to be instructed in this landmark case and how they created an intentional strategy that allowed them to refuted efforts to assert jurisdiction in other countries and to argue their case in the UK. They will provide oversight on how they prepared the case and its progress through the English High Court. This example will serve as an important reminder to many countries, also the victims of large scale and complex corruption, that there are numerous legal remedies available to allow the countries to seek redress and remedies. The panel addresses an important overarching theme of the conference in relation to international cooperation, the use of creative legal remedies and asset recovery.??? Speakers:
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Preston Auditorium | 3. Institutional Checks to Combat Corruption: The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions The session aims to discuss the importance of building the capacity of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to effectively detect, prevent, and reduce corruption. This will give an opportunity to highlight the role of SAIs in providing fiscal oversight through credible and timely audit results, which contribute to transparency and accountability in government operations. The session will also emphasize the importance of SAIs establishing formal collaboration agreements with law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption bodies, and other stakeholders.?This will take the discussion to address the need for SAIs to have adequate institutional and legal resources to perform their functions effectively, and highlight the challenges faced by SAIs in environments where corruption is widespread. Special attention will be given to experiences where other stakeholders in the accountability ecosystem complement, support, and accompany SAIs in their anticorruption work, highlighting the importance of partnerships in this task.? Speakers:
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MC C2-350 | 4. Implementation of Beneficial Ownership Transparency Reforms: Country Experience Beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) is well recognized as a critical measure for combating anti-corruption. The role for beneficial ownership transparency is increasingly being understood in the context of many other development objectives, for example for enhancing domestic revenue mobilization through tax collection, increasing competition in public procurement, to name a few. With over 90-live beneficial ownership registries and the increasing international momentum in beneficial ownership reforms, many countries that don¡¯t have existing beneficial ownership information systems are looking to introduce them, while others are aiming to upgrade systems. In this session, panelists will bring perspectives from their countries and share their experience and successes in implementing such reforms, including through financial and technical assistance from development partners and donor agencies. These include examples from countries that introduced these measures in key economic sectors such as in the extractives industry and in public procurement.???? Speakers:
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MC C2-370 | 5. Supporting Country Commitments in Financing for Development?? According to the UN: ¡°The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are off track. Decades of progress on poverty and hunger have stalled, and in some cases, been thrown into reverse. Many developing economies are mired in debt, with financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push in the SDGs.?But amid these challenges there lies opportunity. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) provides a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture.?? The International Conferences on Financing for Development are the only space where leaders from all governments, along with international and regional organizations, financial and trade institutions, businesses, civil society and the UN System unite at the highest levels, fostering stronger international cooperation.¡±?An analysis of the anticorruption related elements of the Financing for Development draft outcome document show that further inputs will be helpful to refine and strengthen the anti-corruption commitments for UN Member States, as well as international organizations and civil society. Building on previous processes, including the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption held in 2021 and the work done to implement the UN Convention against Corruption, speakers in this session will provide insight into their activities in support of anticorruption efforts and offer ideas on pilots or new initiatives in the Financing for Development process.? Speakers:
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4.00 PM - 4.30 PM | Coffee Break |
4:30 PM - 5.30 PM Preston Auditorium and Overflow | World Caf¨¦s |
5.30 PM - 6.30 PM | Plenary 4 - Regulatory Approaches to Integrity Compliance This session will convene regulators, prosecutors, the private sector, and other stakeholders to discuss how national and multilateral regulators implement integrity compliance matters in practice. The discussions will cover best practices, challenges, and innovative approaches to integrity compliance, as well as lessons learned across different jurisdictions. Panelists will share insights into how regulators and prosecutors are tackling complex challenges in enforcing integrity compliance standards within the private sector and in multi-jurisdictional cases. The session will also present perspectives and experiences from private sector engagement with integrity compliance regulators, along with forward-looking discussions on enhancing collaboration between regulators and the private sector in promoting integrity compliance. Speakers:?
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6.30 PM - 8.00 PM Atrium | Networking Reception |
Day 2 Agenda: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
TIME & LOCATION | SESSION DETAILS |
7.30 AM - 8.15 AM | Breakfast/Coffee ? |
8.15 AM - 8.45 AM | Day 1 Recap and Day 2 Overview
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8.45 AM - 9.45 AM | Plenary 5: Role of Partnerships for Building Accountability and Integrity Ecosystems The session aims to explore the impacts of partnerships and coalitions with governments and civil society in curbing corruption. Corruption typically involves multiple actors or networks of actors who collaborate to execute their illicit activities. Therefore, the fight against corruption necessitates a coordinated effort involving multiple authorities, as well as various private and social actors, and namely, investigative journalism.?This is the only session of the forum dedicated to highlighting the importance of partnerships between governments and civil society in tackling corruption. The panelists, who have extensive experience in the field, will identify the advantages of these partnerships as well as the main challenges they face in terms of both effectiveness and durability.? Speakers:?
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9.45 AM - 11.00 AM | Parallel Sessions |
MC C1-100 | 6. Multilateral Development Bank Harmonization in the Global Sanctions System¨CWorking Together to Ensure Integrity and Accountability There is no debate that corruption is a development problem. The diversion of funds from development projects through fraud and corruption impairs the ability of public institutions to achieve their goals and undermines the rule of law. It erodes public trust, leads to acceptance of substandard services and infrastructure, and hurts our beneficiaries.?Over the course of the last few years, we have seen accountability mechanisms like the World Bank Sanctions System take center stage in ensuring public funds are used for their intended purposes. As organizations increase their lending volumes and respond to many crises in an urgent and streamlined manner, accountability must underpin everything we do.?This panel session will showcase the effective partnerships multiple MDBs have formed to harmonize and improve their internal sanctions systems to ensure they are fit for purpose.?It will focus on the importance of global partnerships in designing and implementing effective adjudicatory mechanisms to review allegations of sanctionable misconduct.?The panelists will address challenges, lessons learned, and how they carry out their work adhering to the pillars of independence, fairness, and transparency.? Speakers:
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Preston Auditorium | 7. Corruption Risks in Procurement Systems, a Comparative Approach The session aims to compare tools and innovative solutions to identify corruption risks inherent in procurement systems across different countries. It will share best practices, discuss challenges, and identify strategies to mitigate these risks. The discussion will cover issues related to the regulatory and institutional capacity of procurement systems, and the risks associated, such as political interference and lack of accountability in procurement decisions. It will also address the challenges in strengthening regulatory frameworks to ensure compliance and integrity.?Another focus will be on the complexity of procurement processes. The session will explore the challenges posed by these complexities and the capacity of public authorities to manage procurement processes effectively. On the topics of transparency and accountability, the session will emphasize the need for improved transparency in procurement processes and the availability of public information, particularly in open data formats. It will also highlight the role of e-Government Procurement systems in enhancing transparency and accountability. Special attention will be given to experiences where other stakeholders in the accountability ecosystem complement, support, and accompany procurement authorities in their anti-corruption work, highlighting the importance of partnerships in this task. Finally, the session will discuss the challenges in measuring and comparing procurement systems from an international perspective. It will address the difficulties in benchmarking procurement systems without a harmonized system for comparison.? Speakers:
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MC 4-800 | 8. Accelerating International Cooperation and Asset Recovery: Country Experiences and Lessons Learned This session will highlight ways to improve and accelerate international cooperation and asset recovery. Engaging in informal international cooperation prior to submitting mutual legal assistance requests and using innovative tools can overcome challenges and delays. In turn, effective asset recovery can significantly contribute to the financial resources available for development projects, particularly in countries that have been adversely affected by corruption and illicit financial flows and can create a more equitable and prosperous global economy. The session will also focus on country experiences in tracing, confiscating, and negotiating the return of proceeds of corruption. It will highlight lessons learned over the past two years from the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) Action Series, a practitioner-focused process aimed at facilitating cooperation between requested and requesting countries, supported by the StAR Initiative, IACCC, and ICAR.? Speakers:
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?MC C2-370 | 9. Gender and Inclusive Approaches to Anticorruption Speakers:
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MC C2-350 | 10. Civil Society: Partnering with Civil Society Organizations to Enhance Governance and Combat Corruption Speakers:??
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11.00 AM - 11.15 AM | Coffee Break |
11.15 AM - 12.30 PM Preston Auditorium | Plenary 6: Helping Countries Fight Corruption: A Dialogue with World Bank Regional VPs Speakers:
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12:30 PM - 1 PM | Insights and Strategies: A dialogue with Slagjana Taseva, Dean of the International Anticorruption Academy, and Alan Bacarese, Director of Investigations, Strategy, and Operations, Integrity Vice Presidency, Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group. |
1:00 PM - 2.00 PM ?Front Lobby | Networking Lunch |
2.00 PM - 3.30??PM | Keynote Speaker: |
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3.30 PM - 4.00 PM Front Lobby | Coffee Break |
4.00 PM - 5.00 PM | Parallel Sessions |
MC C1-100 | 11. Investigative Journalism: Identifying Clean Promises And Dirty Links In Big Investments This interactive, hands-on workshop will provide participants with practical insights from investigative journalists on how to uncover the links between investments and corrupt practices. Attendees will engage in a role-playing exercise, simulating real-world investigative techniques used to track illicit financial flows, identify greenwashing in climate finance or expose conflicts of interest.?Beyond equipping participants with investigative tools, the workshop will also serve as an opportunity for cross-sector collaboration, fostering dialogue between journalists and stakeholders in governance, finance, and anticorruption efforts.?? Speakers:
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MC C1-200 | 12. Corruption in Fragility, Conflict, and Violence-affected contexts This session will discuss corruption as a key factor in shaping international security, feeding conflicts, and exacerbating fragility. It will discuss the conditions under which corruption can produce fragile state structures incapable of absorbing and responding to shocks. The session will also explore how long-lasting conflict, and insecurity can turn corruption into an accepted social practice, perpetuating its existence even after the conflict subsides, and feeding grievances and conflict recurrence. The panelists will provide insights into what may work and what may not work when addressing corruption in fragile conflict and violence affected states based on their diverse experiences and with the understanding that reform options should be highly context dependent.? Speakers:
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MC 4-800 | 13. Partnering to Address Demand-Side Bribery, a Multilateral Development Bank Perspective This session will describe what the investigative offices of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) can do and are doing to address demand-side bribery.?The discussion will be structured around three questions. This might include an anonymized example or specific experience that has shaped their institution¡¯s approach. Speakers:
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MC C2-350 | 14. Private Sector Initiatives for Clean Business Environment (ICO) This session will explore various initiatives aimed at promoting transparency, ethical conduct, and business integrity within the private sector. It will highlight key frameworks, tools, and programs developed by national and international institutions to support business integrity. The discussion will also focus on how companies can leverage these resources to design and implement robust compliance programs tailored to their organizational needs. Panelists will address: (i) the common challenges businesses face in adopting clean and ethical practices, along with practical solutions to overcome these hurdles; (ii) emerging trends and issues that organizations should consider staying ahead in promoting business integrity; and (iii) the role of collective action in advancing business integrity principles.?? Speakers:
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MC C2-370 | 15. Selling Secrecy: Tackling the Infrastructure that Enables Corruption This session will focus on the role of professional service providers in money laundering, corruption, and other financial crimes ¨C corporate service providers, lawyers, accountants, wealth advisors, and others. They set up and manage shell companies, advise on tax and investment strategies, appoint nominee corporate officers, and manage funds on behalf of clients. These professionals can facilitate, unwittingly or wittingly, high-level corruption, or they can act as gatekeepers to the financial system by enforcing integrity standards. Speakers will discuss regulation of professional service providers, including the FATF Recommendations and a recent analysis of compliance conducted by global anti-money laundering standard-setter; tensions between commercial incentives and transparency rules; and explore different approaches to addressing financial crime risks among professional service providers. Speakers:
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5.00 PM - 5.15 PM Preston Auditorium | Special remarks by Wencai Zhang, Managing Director, Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ |
5.15 PM?- 6.15 PM | Plenary 7: Wrap-up - Collective Action for Anticorruption
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6.15 PM - 6.30 PM Preston Auditorium | Closing: , Master of Ceremonies |
DIRECTORY OF WORLD CAF?S | ||
1A. Managing Seized and Confiscated Assets?? Speakers:
Since 2010, close to US$10 billion in corruption proceeds have been frozen, restrained, or confiscated in a destination country, or returned to a country that was harmed by corruption. However, without effective management of the seized and confiscated assets, there may be little to show for these efforts. Although corrupt officials may have been deprived of the benefit of the stolen assets, diminished or negligible value from the disposal of confiscated stolen assets deprives society once again of the assets¡¯ productive use.?This Guide aims to provide guidance to practitioners on asset management, from pre-seizure planning to preserving value during custody to maximizing value at disposal. It is intended to provide practitioners with the foundations to build an effective asset management function and to grow the asset portfolio to manage complex assets. Accordingly, the Guide includes recommendations and good practices derived from international studies, experience from interviews with asset management experts, and case examples.??? 1B. Taxing Crime: A Whole-of-Government Approach to Fighting Corruption, Money Laundering, and Tax Crimes? Speakers:
This publication focuses on the benefits of interagency cooperation between tax authorities and law enforcement agencies working on preventing, detecting, and recovering the IFFs derived from tax evasion, corruption, and money laundering. Although the magnitude of IFFs is a matter of debate, their implications for economies are widely recognized. Tax evasion and corruption drain limited public resources and often hurt the most vulnerable populations by depleting the funds for much-needed services. Beyond the budget, tax evasion and corruption harm the social fabric by fueling inequality and eroding trust in public institutions and the rule of law. IFFs are then a major obstacle to resilient and inclusive development.??The similarities and interconnectedness of these crimes suggest that huge benefits would accrue from enhancing interagency cooperation and exploring synergies. A ¡°whole-of-government¡± approach enables agencies to successfully detect, prosecute, and recover the proceeds of interconnected financial crimes.??? 1C. Unexplained Wealth Orders: Toward a New Frontier in Asset Recovery?? Speakers:
This study offers policymakers an overview of unexplained wealth order (UWO) systems as adopted by different jurisdictions attempting to recover the proceeds of corruption or organized crime. UWOs compel individuals, typically public officials, to provide information on the source of their wealth when it is inconsistent with known legitimate sources of income. The study places UWOs within the broader context of other asset recovery tools and draws lessons for countries considering the introduction of UWO-type legislation, explaining under which conditions UWO may fill a gap in national asset recovery systems. The study encourages the integration of UWO systems as part of a comprehensive whole of policies tailored to specific legal contexts.?? 2. Non-Conviction Based Confiscation in the Context of Asset Recovery Speakers:
The International Center for Asset Recovery (ICAR) is a specialized center of the Basel Institute on Governance that collaborates with partner countries to strengthen their capacities in the recovery of illicit assets, practical mentoring on investigation methods, confiscation strategies, and international cooperation. This World Caf¨¦ will focus on disseminating the work of ICAR, in particular, the prosecution of international corruption through the suppression of its profits: asset recovery. More specifically, the session will focus on non-conviction-based confiscation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, how these tools have allowed to win some prominent cases, challenges and opportunities along the way.? 3. Introduction and Demonstration of Integrity Compliance Knowledge Sharing Platform The publicly available Integrity Compliance Knowledge Sharing Platform was developed by the World Bank Group (WBG) Integrity Vice Presidency under a Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility grant. Target beneficiary groups include private-sector entities, with a focus on small- and medium-size enterprises, as well as project implementation units, contracted support (e.g., procurement agents), and WBG member country agencies. Through its tailored eLearning courses, guidance tools, networking hub, and resource library, the Platform aims to enhance integrity compliance among beneficiaries, with the developmental goal of reducing fraud and corruption risks in WBG-financed projects. The Platform seeks to facilitate the assessment of fraud and corruption risks and support efforts to enhance integrity compliance among entities seeking to participate in WBG-financed projects, as well as others. The Platform is further intended to support risk mitigation efforts related to WBG investment lending operations through its awareness-raising efforts. Speakers: Jihoon Cho, Integrity Compliance Analyst, Integrity Vice Presidency, Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group Joseph Mauro, Integrity Compliance Analyst, Integrity Vice Presidency, Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group New Doe Kaledzi, Consultant, Integrity Vice Presidency, Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group 4. Emerging Technologies Combatting Corruption?? Speakers:
Accountability Lab will showcase emerging anti-corruption technologies developed by global HackCorruption participants. This session will demonstrate how innovative problem-solving and technological ingenuity can transform anti-corruption efforts, engaging communities to foster greater accountability and institutional trust.?Participants will explore four civic tech solutions that enhance transparency, employ novel approaches, or strengthen participation across Latin America, South Asia, and South East Asia. The discussion will offer practical insights for implementing similar technologies in various contexts, highlighting replicable features that can be adapted to different environments.?Beyond knowledge sharing, this will create valuable opportunities for collaboration between featured innovators and participants working on transparency initiatives, fostering a global community dedicated to fighting corruption through technological innovation.?? 5. Haystack: Responsible AI Leadership Consortium Speakers:
Governments worldwide face persistent challenges in combating corruption, financial fraud, and illicit financial flows. Ministries and agencies struggle to process and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently, leading to inefficiencies in procurement, enforcement, and financial oversight. Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), anti-corruption agencies, and central banks receive millions of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) yearly, yet many go unexamined due to resource constraints. Institutions such as the World Bank, UN, WTO, and FATF collect extensive data on illicit financial flows, but governments lack the AI-driven tools to analyze and leverage this information effectively. Haystack will develop a framework for small efficient, low latency LLMs and AI models for government ministries and law enforcement in countries with historic governance and corruption challenges. This will allow officials to analyze vast datasets and detect corruption patterns. These fine-tuned and pre-trained LLMs can integrate institutional knowledge with global data sources to provide real-time insights. By partnering with international organizations, these models can be trained on critical topics such as financial fraud, procurement risks, and enforcement strategies. Deploying AI-driven models within government cloud infrastructures allows officials across key agencies¡ªprocurement offices, inspector generals, prosecutors, investigators, FIUs, and central banks¡ªto access intelligence on-demand, strengthening governance and compliance efforts. ?6. Concept for Integrity Vice Presidency¡¯s AI Agent and Agentic Framework? Speakers:
INT¡¯s Data Lab has developed an AI Agent tailored for investigative and analytical work. The agent leverages advanced AI models to streamline document review processes and generate document drafts using INT-specific content and guidelines, ensuring outputs align with organizational standards while maintaining quality and consistency. INT¡¯s AI framework incorporates document analysis capabilities, enabling efficient processing of large document volumes while extracting key information and identifying relevant patterns. The system also features multilingual translation to facilitate communication with stakeholders. Throughout development and implementation, emphasis has been placed on responsible AI practices based on INT¡¯s emerging governance frameworks designed to ensure trustworthy AI practices that include human-in-the-loop validation by end users. This initiative is a milestone in INT's digital transformation journey and demonstrates its commitment to leveraging technology for greater efficiency and impact.?? 7. BridgeGap: Bridging the Gaps in Evidence, Regulation and Impact of Anticorruption Policies? Speakers:
BridgeGap treats corruption as a policy problem and focuses on understanding both the domestic vulnerabilities and the cross-border factors that undermine the control of corruption. This Horizon Europe funded interdisciplinary research project provides access to objective data, analytical tools, online training and policy recommendations. BridgeGap aims to fill knowledge gaps in corruption's impact on open societies, address digital transparency gaps in public accountability and integrity, find solutions to regulatory and enforcement gaps in the EU and neighbouring countries, and bridge the gap between academia and policy. BridgeGap provides access to a wealth of data repositories and analytical tools, such as?the Follow-the-Money search engine tracing financial flows, unmasking hidden networks, and analysing webs of influence. Powered by the BridgeGap Ukrainian partner , it uses 336 global data sources, covering 92 million companies and 86 million individuals. Follow us: www. and access the DataHub www. 8. Governance & Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (GI ACE) Research Programme Speakers:
Governance & Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (GI ACE) is a global research program generating actionable, context-sensitive evidence to tackle corruption and support more effective policy and institutional reform. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and based at the Centre for the Study of Corruption at the University of Sussex, GI ACE brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to examine how corruption operates across systems, sectors, and governance levels. The program has supported 34 projects across a range of themes, including illicit financial flows, state capture, procurement risks, integrity systems, and cross-border trade. GI ACE prioritises engagement and collaboration to ensure that research informs real-world anti-corruption strategies. By addressing the political, social, and economic drivers of corruption, the program contributes to a more evidence-based, targeted approach to reform that is both locally grounded and globally relevant. 9. U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre? Speakers:
For the past twenty years, the U4 Anti-corruption Resource Centre ?has studied how corruption threatens development. Together with global research networks and practitioners, we pursue emerging topics and advance the anti-corruption field. In this World Caf¨¦ session, we will present a small selection of our work, focusing on the financing for development agenda, anti-corruption efforts for reconstruction in Ukraine, countering illicit financial flows, and the intersections of gender and corruption.? 10. Industry Alliances to Tackle Corruption?? Speakers:
Industry alliances have become vital in the fight against corruption, leveraging collective action to promote transparency and accountability. Initiatives like integrity compacts and industry alliances have set benchmarks for ethical behavior. This World Caf¨¦ session will discuss the work of two industry alliances against corruption ¨CExtractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network ¨C in promoting integrity and ethical conduct in their respective industries. The session will enrich the conference by illustrating how industry alliances foster transparency and help to combat corruption.? 11. International Organizations: Partners in Fighting Corruption Speakers:
In addition to national authorities, the international anti-corruption ecosystem is home to a wide array of international actors and networks. As a result, national authorities may be unaware of some of the international organizations with whom they could work on specific cases. In this session, attendees will be introduced to the investigative functions of a selection of Multilateral Development Banks and UN Agencies, as well as some of the anti-corruption law enforcement networks hosted by international organizations. As part of the World Caf¨¦, this session will emphasize interaction and informal connection, as a foundation for future cooperation.? 12. Building Bridges: The Role of Civil Society in Supporting Law Enforcement Through Strategic Legal Casework??? Speakers:
Cross-border cases of grand corruption cause very serious harm to entire countries, communities and individuals. Perpetrators are too often not pursued by relevant authorities and victims are left with no remedy for the harm they suffer. Authorities may lack the resources to tackle such complex cross-border cases and national criminal policy is focused elsewhere. Some authorities may also be unwilling to investigate and prosecute influential decision-makers in their countries or abroad despite the existence of laws that give them the power to do so.?It is therefore important to explore the variety of legal and regulatory mechanisms available in different countries on cross-border corruption cases. Transparency International works with various journalist and civil society partners who investigate such cases in order to take their findings and highlight them to law enforcement around the world to ensure that more perpetrators face consequences and corruption victims are remedied.?? 13. Youth Innovations for Anticorruption Pitch Workshop?? Speakers:
Partnering with the World Bank and Open Government Partnership (OGP), Accountability Lab will bring five students or young professionals to pitch their anti-corruption ideas and solution sin either of the two categories:?I. Youth and Creative Solutions to Anticorruption: Proposing innovative ideas or youth-led approaches to combat corruption. These may be local, regional, or global in scope and can originate from another country.?II. Skills and Knowledge for Youth Leadership in Anticorruption: Identifying the tools, skills, and knowledge young people need to lead the next generation of anti-corruption efforts.?We will encourage participants to pitch?creative ideas, innovative?approaches, and the skills and knowledge young people need to lead the next generation of anticorruption work. Each participant will have 5 minutes to pitch. Time will be allocated for questions/feedback from the audience.?The results of the session will also inform how Accountability Lab and OGP can better support youth participation/leadership in anticorruption reforms going forward.?? 14. Proactive Investigations? Speakers:
As part of its strategy, INT is supplementing current "reactive" approaches that are mainly driven by complaints with additional proactive risk analysis and intelligence-driven approaches. This session will cover the concept of proactive investigations, the rationale for undertaking proactive investigations, and various proactive case development methodologies.? 15. U.S. Government Accountability Office ¨C Resources for Managing Corruption and Fraud Risks? Speakers:
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the supreme audit institution for the United States. Often called the "congressional watchdog,¡± GAO is an independent agency that provides Congress, the heads of executive agencies, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can be used to improve government and save taxpayer funds. GAO also sets auditing standards for federal and state auditors as well as develops best practices for federal managers. In 2015, GAO issued A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs, to help federal managers strategically manage fraud and corruption risks in federal programs. Adhering to the Framework is required by law and executive guidance. To support federal managers¡¯ efforts, GAO also developed online Antifraud Resource, which explains how fraud works and provides fraud case information and other free resources.? 16. OECD Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT): Corruption Risk Management in Practice, Learning from Development Experience?? Speakers:
This exchange aims to explore what it means to take an informed risk-based approach to corruption risk management in development cooperation including, for example, by identifying pragmatic approaches towards ¡®zero-tolerance for corruption¡¯, catalyzing corruption risk management throughout the project or program cycle, sharing risk with partners and better understanding the environment of operation. The purpose of this work is to provide practical guidance to development cooperation actors on effective strategies for managing corruption risks while maximizing development impacts. The ACTT¡¯s work aims to equip development providers with useful tools to balance accountability with impact to shape development cooperation policies and practices to more agile, responsible and effective development cooperation?; and to address corruption as a fundamental development obstacle, affecting entire sectors and countries¡¯ capacity to mobilise resources. 17.?Establishing the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC)? Speakers:
Grand corruption undermines democracy, human rights, and sustainable development. When national authorities are unwilling or unable to prosecute corrupt public officials, stolen assets remain hidden, and impunity prevails. Integrity Initiatives International is working to establish the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC)¡ªa global institution designed to prosecute high-level corruption cases, dismantle illicit financial networks, and recover stolen assets. The IACC would complement national anti-corruption efforts by stepping in when justice systems are unwilling or unable to act. Through coalition-building, treaty development, diplomatic engagement, and advocacy, Integrity Initiatives International and its European partner are leading the movement to create a fair and effective legal mechanism to hold corrupt leaders accountable. Join us to discuss how this initiative can reshape the fight against grand corruption worldwide. ?? 18. Red Flags in Public Procurement: Use Cases for Open Contracting Data in Government and Civil Society? Speakers:
Public procurement is where the money, power and the discretion in government are concentrated. Making up 1 in every 3 dollars spent by governments worldwide for a total value of over US $13 trillion, the sums spent on procurement are enormous and make it government¡¯s number one corruption risk.?Public contracts touch every part of our lives ¨C from roadworks to school meals to critical medicines. It is where citizens see governments deliver on promises of sustainable development or fall short of their expectations, damaging trust in the fairness and effectiveness of government.?Corruption risk indicators can help governments prevent corruption in public spending before it occurs.? In this session, Open Contracting Partnership will introduce how to use public procurement data to calculate corruption risk indicators, explore what data is most useful to calculate red flags and provide a step-by-step guide on implementing them in practice. We will share best practice examples from the open contracting community, including from Indonesia and the Dominican Republic.??? 19. Promoting transparency in sustainable infrastructure procurement?? Speakers:
Sustainable infrastructure is critical to delivering economic development and public services whilst facilitating the transition to a low carbon future. However, the IMF estimates that 10 to 30 per cent of infrastructure investment is lost through corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency.??With support from the World Bank Global Procurement Partnership Multi-Donor Trust Fund, CoST the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative has carried out a study that identified the data that stakeholders from government, the private sector and civil society require to assess the procurement and integrity of sustainable infrastructure. CoST co-developed the OC4IDS with the Open Contracting Partnership to provide a framework for publishing open and accessible data at each stage of an infrastructure investment. The findings from the study were used to develop new OC4IDS data points structured into four modules (economic and financial, environmental and climate, institutional and social) providing publishers and data users a flexible tool to assess sustainable infrastructure.? 20. Connecting Public Procurement and Beneficial Ownership Data for Anticorruption and Beyond? Speakers:
Since its founding in September 2011, Open Government Partnership members have made over 800 individual commitments to pursue various areas of anticorruption reforms - almost half of which are centered around public procurement and beneficial ownership transparency. OGP members have worked closely with both Open Contracting Partnership and Open Ownership in implementing these commitments. Together OO, OCP, and OGP have consistently urged reformers to connect the dots between procurement and beneficial ownership data, to achieve anticorruption objectives such as identifying conflicts of interest, risk management, enabling CSO/public participation in monitoring, as well as to help deliver on other objectives such as AML/CFT or economic inclusion. This World Cafe session will therefore spotlight examples from the OGP community and highlight the key factors of success including building a multistakeholder team, a focus on goals & digital solutions driven by standardized open data (such as the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard and the Open Contracting Data Standard). This will encourage participants to be strategic and have data interoperability and interconnectedness in mind as they pursue reform in these two key anticorruption reform areas.?? ?21. Climate Working Group of the Integrity Vice Presidency of the World Bank Group Speakers:
The INT Working Group on Climate Finance is dedicated to upholding integrity within the World Bank Group¡¯s climate-related funding. Throughout the year, we have focused on several key workstreams, including (i) identifying climate-centric actions and establishing an ongoing tracker using a keyword system based on the World Bank Group¡¯s Scorecard, (ii) exploring typologies of corruption and related misconduct in climate projects, (iii) revisiting restitution as a sanction within several other cross-cutting themes, (iv) analyzing integrity risks in World Bank Group¡¯s carbon finance initiatives, and (v) examining new financing mechanisms for climate related initiatives in the World Bank Group. Your engagement and expertise are essential in furthering the efforts of the INT Working Group on Climate Finance.?? 22. Integrity in Climate Finance & Action: Knowledge Report of the 2nd Symposium on Responses to Corruption? Speakers:
Building on the outcomes of the 1st Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption, the 2nd Symposium: Integrity in Climate Finance & Action explored the potential of supranational integrity mechanisms to become an important tool for swiftly and efficiently managing integrity risks associated with climate finance. It emphasized the need for collaboration between integrity and climate experts to address these risks. The resulting Knowledge Report highlights the importance of intergovernmental organizations/MDBs, international aid agencies, private donors, and corporations in ensuring accountability in climate finance. It communicates why it is relevant to study and address integrity in the specific context of climate finance, and why partnerships are needed for a creative, efficient, and coordinated evolution of integrity and anti-corruption policies in the climate domain. The report offers a roadmap for a high-integrity climate financing system that meets the urgent climate crisis while upholding accountability. The symposia series will continue in 2026 with the 3rd symposium, inviting institutions to partner.? 23. Government Budget Execution Controls and Corruption Perception: A PEFA Cross-Country Analysis Speakers:
The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) program, housed in the World Bank, is a collaboration among eight international development partners (European Commission, IMF, World Bank, France, Norway, Switzerland, Slovak Republic, and Luxembourg). The PEFA framework, used in over 156 countries, is the gold standard for assessing public financial management (PFM). PEFA has become a global PFM knowledge hub, with many assessments available on . In collaboration with the University of Nevada, PEFA Secretariat conducted quantitative research into the link between government budget execution and corruption perception. The study found a strong correlation between effective budget execution and lower perceived corruption levels, highlighting the importance of robust budget mechanisms in reducing corruption risks. The World Caf¨¦ session explores the relationship between government budgets and corruption perception, offering insights from both research and practitioners' experiences. 24. Who Controls the Judiciary? The Role of the Justice System in Combatting Corruption Speakers:
The Judiciary plays a central role in maintaining rule-based governance and combating corruption, ensuring that no one is above the law. But who controls the Judiciary? This session will discuss innovative research on judicial selection methods for the highest courts in 205 countries and territories, exploring who decides who sits on the bench and how this impacts judicial independence and the rule of law. While most countries vest the authority to appoint the judges of the highest court in a single branch of government, a smaller number involve two or three branches in the process. Initial analysis suggests that engaging at least two branches of government in judicial selection tends to yield more favorable outcomes for judicial independence and the rule of law. This research is conducted within the World Bank¡¯s Global Program on Justice and the Rule of Law, which harnesses data, global knowledge, and innovation to drive effective and evidence-based justice reform. |
Details
- DATE: April 8 & 9, 2025
- WHERE: : World Bank Group Headquarters, Washington, DC