The Third World Forum Addresses Corruption
By Jeff Pizzino, APR, Corporate Communications –
The third installment of the World Forum on Governance conference was held last April in Prague. The theme was “Leveraging private capital and political action in the fight against corruption.”
Corruption in government is not just something that “happens.” There are causes and pieces that work together to make it happen. There are structures in the public sector that enable corruption to abound, and there are links that perpetuate and encourage it. This is what Senator Pietro Grasso, the President of the Senate in Italy, shared at the recent Third World Forum on Governance.
Previous Forums
Held in early April 2014, this forum was the third of a series designated to reform world governance. The first world forum led to the Prague declaration, which was focused on increasing trust in good governance and democracy. The second world forum linked government officials with institutional investors. And the third world forum, which is the subject of this article, focused on government reform to uncover the structures that lead to corruption in the public sector. Some hope to create new laws and institutions that will prevent future corruption that erodes governments and destroys economies.
Senator Grasso Discusses Corruption
Senator Grasso has much experience with these concerns due to more than 40 years of trying to take down the Italian Mafia. His message at the Third World Forum was on “exposing the links existing between organized crime, corruption and the ethics of politics.” Based on his experience and understanding, Grasso encourages a worldwide geopolitical approach for working against international crime. This is largely because such crime is pervasive across public institutions and society and legal action needs to be taken to combat it.
Additional Topics Discussed
Other topics were also discussed at the Forum. Transnational tools including international groups, courts, and treaties were discussed, as well as the place of law enforcement and judiciary officials in fighting corruption. Interestingly, a push was made for using social media to fight corruption and working with the private sector to fight corruption, not just the public sector. Lastly, those attending the Forum discussed the connection between controlling corruption and reforming governments. Such forums and conferences are excellent tools for our global community to openly discuss concerns with corruption. The work of many will combine to create a promising future as individuals, governments and people strive to eradicate corruption and form a better world.
