Twenty-five world citizens have issued an open letter to G20 leaders, calling upon them to address the flaws that allow the corrupt to operate with impunity. They emphasise that growth has to be inclusive and sustainable.
The letter signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Manzoor Hasan, a Bangladeshi who is the chair of UN Convention against Corruption Coalition, and Tawakkol Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Women Journalists Without Chains, among others, says growth must not “leave anyone behind.”
“When a global financial system allows billions of dollars of corrupt or stolen money to flow unchecked around the globe, something is wrong. When financial secrecy helps strip Africa of US$50 billion each year, something is wrong. When the poor of this world see the wealth of their countries slip beyond their borders, something must be done.
“That’s our message to you, as G20 leaders, when you take stock in November of the health of the world’s financial system, you must address the flaws that still allow the corrupt to operate with impunity and siphon off tainted monies. In your drive to achieve a target of 2% collective growth in GDP above trend, you must remember that growth must be inclusive and sustainable and not leave anyone behind. At the Brisbane Summit you must put people at the centre of your decision-making,” says the letter released yesterday.
The world citizens say: “As long as there are places in the global financial system where illicit financial flows can find a safe harbour and there are people to help hide these funds there will be millions more around the world who suffer. You, the leaders of the world’s largest economies must make the global financial system serve its citizens.”
Mentioning that at least $1 trillion is siphoned from developing countries each year, the citizens say the perpetrators of this “scandal” are rarely found or challenged.
They emphasise that the G20 governments must collect and publish the identity of the real, living people who ultimately own and control companies and other legal entities to make it easier to track the origin of corrupt or illicit funds.
“Lest we forget: the primary victims of organised crime, corruption, and tax evasion or avoidance are the poorest citizens of the world. Put people at the heart of your decisions in Brisbane next week,” the letter ends.
The other signatories to the letter also include Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International, John Christensen, director of Tax Justice Network, Robert Glasser, secretary general of CARE International, Akaash Maharaj, executive director of Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, Alvin Mosioma, chair of Financial Transparency Coalition, Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International, Cobus de Swardt, managing director of Transparency International, and Jasmine Whitbread, CEO of Save the Children. l