UN FACTI report / Philippines Ombudsman policy / New KickBack podcast

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Corruption and tax-dodging ‘rampant’, urgent reforms needed: UN panel.  “According to the [High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity to Achieve the 2030 Development Agenda (FACTI Panel)] report, diverted resources that could be used for the poor include $500 billion in Governments losses annually from profit-shifting enterprises; $7 trillion in private wealth hidden in haven countries – with 10 per cent of world GDP held offshore; and some $1.6 trillion in money laundering each year.”

UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1073442

 

Under Ombudsman Martires, no lifestyle checks, less criminal treatment of cases.  “Martires revealed these details…as he appealed to the House of Representatives to restore his office’s 2021 budget to the originally proposed of P4.6 billion (approx. US$94 mil)…One of the affected item in the budget cut was Personnel Services (PS), which Martires said would derail his plan of putting up a separate bureau that would solely handle the administrative aspects of a corruption case [separating it from criminal aspects].”

Lian Buan/Rappler: https://rappler.com/nation/ombudsman-under-martires-no-lifestyle-checks-less-criminal-treatment-cases

 

New Podcast Episode, Featuring James Wasserstrom (Blog/Podcast).  “In our interview, Mr. Wasserstrom and I discuss his experience as a UN whistleblower, the flaws in the UN’s whistleblower protection system, and what if anything can be done. We also discuss Mr. Wasserstrom’s ideas for providing more international support for whistleblowers in hostile environment, including his new proposal for an “integrity sanctuary” program.

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/09/22/new-podcast-episode-featuring-james-wasserstrom/

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