Defusing The Trigger: Corruption, Global Insecurity and Violent Conflicts

Violent conflicts, crisis, and chaos only benefit kleptocrats, the corrupt and their accomplices. Strategic corruption, used as a foreign policy tool force societies at large to pay a deadly price. The current regional and local conflicts are costing tens of thousands of innocent lives and causing irreparable damage, globally. The impunity around these global crimes not only prolongs them but foster the proliferation of more of violent conflicts. We are reaching now historical proportions. This is a soaring global risk with no end in sight.

The 21^st IACC calls experts and practitioners from around the world to engage in the analysis of the deadly effects of corruption on peace and human security, be it on a global, regional and local level, and to propose actions to stop corruption both as a precursor -and trigger- of conflicts, as well as an obstacle to reach peaceful resolutions and just repair.

• Corruption at The Root of Violent Conflict: Policy Implications and Solutions (Ws 7.4)

  This workshop – brought together by Chatham House and the Asia Foundation through the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme – explores the intersection of corruption and violent conflict across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The workshop will discuss the link between corruption and conflict and considerations for tackling corruption for conflict reduction.

  Coordinated by XCEPT

  Featuring XCEPT, Kachinland Research Centre, Chatham House and United Nations University Centre for Policy Research

• Just and Transparent Financing of Ukraine’s Reconstruction (Ws 4.1)

  The workshop’s objective is to explore the efficient and transparent use of financial resources allocated for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. The conversation will delve into digital tools ensuring transparency, such as the DREAM system and others, as well as various funding sources, with a primary focus on confiscating frozen Russian assets as a legitimate means.

  Coordinated by RISE Coalition

  Featuring Open Contracting Partnership, Better Regulation Delivery Office, Institute of Legislative Ideas, German Marshall Fund and Basel Institute on Governance

• Confronting Strategic Corruption and Illicit Finance: Democratic Resilience and Economic Security (Ws 9.9)

  Building on the Summit for Democracy’s Cohort on Anti-Corruption Policies and National Security, this panel tackles how to combat strategic corruption and state capture effectively. Experts will share best practices on investment screening, tracking illicit wealth and assets of sanctioned individuals, using big data for risk assessments, and corruption-proofing legislation.

  Coordinated by Center for the Study of Democracy

  Featuring Center for the Study of Democracy, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), University of Bologna, International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Former Director of the Centre for the Study of Corruption, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre and Center for the Study of Democracy

• Feeding The Russian War Machine: Lessons Learned from Investigating Cross- Border Sanction Evasion

  Historic trade sanctions against Russia have prompted an equally historic rise in illicit activity–elaborate cross-border schemes that perpetuate both kleptocracy and war. In Lithuania and other front-line nations, journalists are producing crucial accounts of sanction evasion and its profiteers. Learn from journalists about their findings, tactics, and how secrecy and corruption impede responses.

  Coordinated by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

  Featuring Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica, Journalistic Data Processing Centre, Finnish Public Broadcasting Company (YLE) and Belarusian Investigative Center

• Sizing Up (Re)Construction. Measuring Local-Level Recovery Integrity (Ws 11.4)

  Amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine, it’s hard to define what a successful infusion of integrity and transparency into local-level reconstruction looks like. Different actors have diverging views on this. Yet, national and local governments, CSOs, and businesses must converge to devise measurement frameworks to gauge anti-corruption success. The panel and audience dialogue will explore how to achieve this.

  Coordinated by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) & Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Pro-Integrity Program and the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI)

  Featuring United States Agency for International Development (USAID) & Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Pro-Integrity Program, the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Mykolayiv City Mayor's Office, Bihus.Info, and Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP)

• The Unseen War. Fighting Corruption in Emergency Situations (Ws 4.6)

  How can MDBs engage in crisis situations in ways that are context-specific and do not come at an unacceptable cost: from preventing and reducing the risk of corruption in crisis situations to how they investigate instances of prohibited practices this workshop will develop on the MDB approach by bringing case examples of successful and unsuccessful investigations and draw lessons learnt.

  Coordinated by European Investment Bank (EIB)

  Featuring European Investment Bank (EIB), African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Inter-American Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

• War and Corruption: Time to Take a Closer Look

  War and corruption are interconnected, but little research has been conducted on the topic so far. To fill the gap, this section presents a report by Transparency International Russia (TI—Russia) on the war in Ukraine and corruption in Russian relations. The report demonstrates how corruption fuelled the war, influenced daily lives, and was used by kleptocrats for personal gain.

  Coordinated by Transparency International Russia (TI – Russia)

  Featuring Transparency International Russia (TI – Russia), Verstka Media and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

• Confronting Corrupt Foreign Influence in The Western Balkans (Ws 10.8)

  The fragmentation of the international political order has had a detrimental effect on the Western Balkans, where strategic corruption is used to win over the influence of the local elites. This workshop analyses the key dynamics underlying these processes through the pioneering work of the IRI’s Western Balkans Task Force.

  Coordinated by University of Oslo

  Featuring University of Oslo, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe and Kosovo Center for Security Studies

• Sovereignty for Sale: SEZs, Scam Operations, Casinos, Human Trafficking (Ws 1.4)

  Aim is to discuss casino and scam operations run by transnational organized crime groups located in Southeast Asia have resulted in human trafficking on a grand scale, facilitated by corruption. Objective is to unpack how many casino and scam operations have legitimized operations by obtaining business licenses or by locating in SEZs established to attract foreign investment.

  Coordinated by C4Center

• Cutting off the Flow: Tackling Strategic Corruption in Political Finance (Ws 1.8)

  This workshop will explore the use of strategic corruption in political finance to manipulate elections, political processes, and institutions. It will highlight recent USAID-funded research on the topic, foster dialogue among practitioners about emerging efforts to safeguard democracy from this urgent threat, explore promising approaches, and generate insights on scaling and amplifying efforts.

  Coordinated by Millennium Partners

  Featuring United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Anti-Corruption Center, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Global Accountability Program/Strengthening National Architectures to Counter Corruption (GAP/SNA) Activity and Ministry of Justice of Lithuania

• In Debt to Nature: How Financing Election Campaigns Drives Environmental Destruction (Ws 5.4)

  This session examines how running for political office in many countries is paid for by destroying the environment. Where candidates come into office with significant debts from their election campaigns, corruption is often a modus operandi for repaying them. Cases and possible solutions at the intersection of corruption, unsustainable development, and environmental decline will be discussed.

  Coordinated by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

  Featuring U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Bantay Kita and Proética, Transparency International Peru (TI – Peru)

• Feeding The Russian War Machine: Lessons Learned from Investigating Cross-Border Sanction Evasion (Ws 8.4)

  Historic trade sanctions against Russia have prompted an equally historic rise in illicit activity–elaborate cross-border schemes that perpetuate both kleptocracy and war. In Lithuania and other front-line nations, journalists are producing crucial accounts of sanction evasion and its profiteers. Learn from journalists about their findings, tactics, and how secrecy and corruption impede responses.

  Coordinated by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

  Featuring Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica, Journalistic Data Processing Centre, Finnish Public Broadcasting Company (YLE) and Belarusian Investigative Center