BERLIN, Germany:--- Transparency International (TI) is a global movement sharing one vision: a world in which government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. Through close to 100 national chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, TI brings people from all sectors of society together to put effective measures in place to tackle corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity.
TI defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It impacts societies in a multitude of ways. In the worst cases, it costs lives. Short of this, it costs people their freedom, health, or money. Corruption thrives where temptation meets
permissiveness: where institutional checks on power are missing, where decision making is opaque, where civil society is dis-empowered. It is therefore important to establish control mechanisms and systemic hurdles to prevent people from abusing their power.
Corruption is rarely an isolated phenomenon found only within a specific institution, sector or group of actors. It is usually of a systemic nature, and fighting it requires a holistic and systemic strategy. This is why TI developed the concept of National Integrity System (NIS) assessments in 2001. Since then, NIS studies have been completed in more than 100 countries around the world. In addition to the St. Maarten study, TI is currently working on over twenty NIS assessments.
An NIS assessment evaluates the anti-corruption efficacy of all principal institutions and actors that form a state. These include all branches of government, the media, the public and private sectors, and civil society (see graph opposite). Through a nuanced analysis of national efforts to stamp out corruption, it provides a framework which organizations and citizens can use to analyze both the vulnerabilities of a given country to corruption as well as the effectiveness of national anti-corruption efforts.
The purpose of an NIS study is to highlight corruption risks and produce recommendations on how to mitigate those in the future. Once an NIS assessment is complete, it is used to help different actors advocate for the strengthening of areas that
are prone to corruption. Depending on the results of an assessment in a specific country, this may include better access to information laws, citizen participation, whistle-blower protection or adherence to international conventions.
Transparency International Press Release
