Transparency International releases the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index findings including the results from the Arab World
Ramallah: Transparency International has released the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024 for countries around the world, including the results of Arab countries. The results of the index showed that corruption is still deeply rooted globally including in the Middle East and North Africa region. MENA countries have not shown significant progress over the past 12 years. Although the region’s average score has increased by only one point from last year, from 38 to 39 out of 100, it remains much lower than the global average of 43%.
The Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite index that ranks countries according to perceived levels of corruption in the public sector focusing on the legislative, political and economic environment and levels and procedures of governance. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Index results: The interconnectedness of rising authoritarianism and corruption and its impact on governance, development, and environmental improvement in the Middle East and North Africa
Without comprehensive anti-corruption action, authoritarian elites will be able to consolidate their absolute power, leaving the region unable to address pressing challenges such as climate change, governance reform and development,” said Transparency International, which titled this year's Corruption Perceptions Index results with the theme ”The Climate Crisis.
Arab Region Highlights
The listed results of the index did not indicate a significant change in the reality of corruption perceptions in the Arab region, which scored 34%. On closer analysis, only five Arab countries obtained scores higher than 50 out of 100, namely the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia with rates of 68%, 59% and 59%, respectively, in addition to Oman, which improved its score on the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024 compared to last year, recording an increase of 12 points from 42% to 55%, as well as Bahrain, which increased by 11 points from 42% to 53% for this year. The results also indicated that some countries advanced from last year, such as Iraq by a difference of 3 points from 23% to 26%, and Jordan by a difference of 3 points from 46% to 49%
Some countries also recorded a significant decline in their scores, compared to last year, such as Libya, which recorded a decrease of 5 points from 18% to 13%, in addition to Egypt’s decline of 5 points from 35% to 30%. Kuwait stagnated without any progress or decline, scoring 46%, Mauritania 30%, or a small difference that is not significant, such as Morocco 37% and Tunisia 39%, or a decrease of two points, such as Algeria 34% and Lebanon 22%.
On the other hand, countries that suffer from challenges in the field of democracy, political participation, human rights and public freedoms witnessed the worst results on the Corruption Perceptions Index, namely: (Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia) with a rate of (15%, 13%, 12%, and 9%) respectively.
Persistent internal conflicts and lack of peaceful transfer of power affect the country's ranking
The Arab peoples in many countries suffer from the lack of peaceful transfer of power, which has undermined political and open participation in public life and the public decision-making process, leading to increased opportunities for major corruption, declining respect for human rights, social justice, equal opportunities and equality, and weakening social protection systems, especially in some countries that suffer from the continuation of wars and regional conflicts.
GCC countries' abundant resources and digitalization have contributed to the provision of extensive social services to their citizens
Although the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia lack the peaceful transfer of power and open political participation, which are essential for the integrity of governance, economic prosperity, financial abundance, and the shift to electronic transactions in the delivery of public services have positively influenced the reality of corruption perceptions, due to the availability of surplus resources of countries with strong economies. Accordingly, the UAE scored the highest score among Arab countries, reaching 68%.
AMAN calls on the countries with the highest integrity levels to comply with their moral and legal obligation to pressure Israel to implement the ICJ's decision
In light of the results of this year’s index, the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (AMAN), the national chapter of Transparency International, called on the countries that received the highest scores, which represent the least corrupt countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index, to comply with their moral and legal duty to hold Israeli officials - perpetrators of corruption in the management of Palestinian affairs - accountable internationally, including through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
In the results, AMAN indicated that its donors are at the top of the index, recording the highest level of integrity such as: (Denmark 90%, Finland 88%, Luxembourg 81%, Sweden 80%, and the Netherlands 78%). These countries expressed their continued moral commitments and support for the cause of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and self-determination.
The protraction of the occupation, division, and the decline in the integrity of governance were the most prominent reasons that hindered efforts to combat corruption in Palestine.
AMAN believes that although Palestine has not been included in the index for nearly 17 years, due to the lack of at least three sources of information (out of 13 approved sources on Palestine as required by the index), it would not be better off than other countries in the region if it were included in the index, as there are many challenges related to the continued Israeli occupation and its practices against Palestinians, in addition to the Palestinian division, weak governance integrity due to the lack of general elections, the absence of a legislative council, and weak transparency of governance and public resources, some of which exacerbate the issue of climate change (the theme of this year's index).
For example, official authorities issue licenses for quarries and quarries in areas without considering the negative effects on the environment and surrounding residential communities.
The occupation’s impunity exacerbates the challenges of climate change in Palestine
Wars in are a major source of carbon emissions in the region, and increase the levels of desertification and land degradation, in addition to exacerbating the challenges of climate change in Palestine, as confirmed by Dr. Yousef Abu Safia, the former Palestinian Minister of Environmental Affairs in the “National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change”, and Dr. Jad Ishaq, Director General of the Applied Research Institute (ARIJ), on the link between the arbitrariness and misuse of the occupying power and its tightening of control over natural resources and its misuse of the de facto policy of burying toxic waste, which has negatively affected climate change in Palestine, and restricted Palestinians’ access to land and water, destroyed vegetation cover and reduced agricultural areas, which increased soil erosion and weakened the Palestinians’ ability to adapt to climate change, thus depriving Palestinians of developing sustainable systems for agriculture and water management, and increasing the suffering of local communities in the face of drought and rapid environmental changes, taking advantage of the lack of accountability of ruling military officers. AMAN emphasizes its commitment to a free Palestine, free from corruption and occupation, and stresses the need to hold officials of the occupying power accountable for their crimes in the administration of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, especially those related to resource management, as “occupation is one of the main drivers of corruption.”
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