[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":656},["ShallowReactive",2],{"publication-qg36":3,"related-qg36":208},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"date_created":8,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":20,"link_internal":23,"link_external":30,"featured":31,"topics":32,"languages":34,"type":35,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"image":37,"countries":48,"tags":49,"pdf":128,"authors":172},2389,"published",null,"2025-02-10T11:05:56.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:51.000Z",2756,"qg36","Quick Guide 36: Corruption and security","How does corruption threaten national and international security, both directly and indirectly? Can viewing it through the lens of power offer deeper insights? And what might we achieve by framing corruption as a security concern?\n\nThis quick guide gives a short introduction to this complex issue as part of a two-part series on corruption, security and strategic corruption.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nYou are free to share and republish this work under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.","","English",2025,"Basel Institute on Governance","2025-02-09",false,[21,22],"Prevention","Research and Innovation",[24,27],{"url":25,"caption":26},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg37"," View related Quick Guide to strategic corruption",{"url":28,"caption":29},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Quick%20Guide"," View all Quick Guides",[],true,[33],"Prevention Research and Innovation",[15],[36],"Quick Guide",{"id":38,"storage":39,"filename_disk":40,"filename_download":41,"title":42,"type":43,"created_on":8,"modified_on":8,"charset":7,"filesize":44,"width":45,"height":46,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":7,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":47,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":8},"7b63372a-9595-47eb-8bb8-88a3df6b9912","local","7b63372a-9595-47eb-8bb8-88a3df6b9912.jpg?itok=2C2OkXUa","QG36-Corruption-and-security-cover-page.jpg?itok=2C2OkXUa","QG36_Corruption and security_cover page.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg",42911,500,707,{},[],[50,77,94,111],{"id":51,"publications_id":52,"tags_id":74},4599,{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":55,"link_internal":56,"link_external":59,"featured":31,"topics":60,"languages":61,"type":62,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":63,"tags":64,"pdf":68,"authors":71},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6",[21,22],[57,58],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],4601,4738,4739,[69,70],2429,2430,[72,73],2589,2590,{"id":75,"name":76},982,"Anti-corruption",{"id":65,"publications_id":78,"tags_id":91},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":79,"link_internal":80,"link_external":83,"featured":31,"topics":84,"languages":85,"type":86,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":87,"tags":88,"pdf":89,"authors":90},[21,22],[81,82],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":92,"name":93},967,"Organised crime",{"id":66,"publications_id":95,"tags_id":108},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":96,"link_internal":97,"link_external":100,"featured":31,"topics":101,"languages":102,"type":103,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":104,"tags":105,"pdf":106,"authors":107},[21,22],[98,99],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":109,"name":110},1376,"Defence and security",{"id":67,"publications_id":112,"tags_id":125},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":113,"link_internal":114,"link_external":117,"featured":31,"topics":118,"languages":119,"type":120,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":121,"tags":122,"pdf":123,"authors":124},[21,22],[115,116],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":126,"name":127},973,"Corruption",[129,152],{"id":69,"publications_id":130,"directus_files_id":143},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":131,"link_internal":132,"link_external":135,"featured":31,"topics":136,"languages":137,"type":138,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":139,"tags":140,"pdf":141,"authors":142},[21,22],[133,134],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":144,"storage":39,"filename_disk":145,"filename_download":146,"title":146,"type":147,"folder":148,"uploaded_by":53,"created_on":149,"modified_by":7,"modified_on":149,"charset":7,"filesize":150,"width":7,"height":7,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":151,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":7,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":149},"c40b3b11-a91b-445e-8850-4949272166ce","c40b3b11-a91b-445e-8850-4949272166ce.pdf","QG36-Corruption-and-security-0.pdf","application\u002Fpdf","67f22e04-d26f-4baa-b91f-acc5f89d87f5","2025-02-10T11:05:57.000Z",560876,"Download PDF",{"id":70,"publications_id":153,"directus_files_id":166},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":154,"link_internal":155,"link_external":158,"featured":31,"topics":159,"languages":160,"type":161,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":162,"tags":163,"pdf":164,"authors":165},[21,22],[156,157],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":167,"storage":39,"filename_disk":168,"filename_download":169,"title":169,"type":147,"folder":148,"uploaded_by":53,"created_on":149,"modified_by":7,"modified_on":149,"charset":7,"filesize":170,"width":7,"height":7,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":171,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":7,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":149},"056ac6c3-f02b-4f92-8941-5a496169f751","056ac6c3-f02b-4f92-8941-5a496169f751.pdf","250210-Corruption-power-security-infographic.pdf",205109," View infographic: How corruption affects power and security",[173,190],{"id":72,"publications_id":174,"authors_id":187},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":175,"link_internal":176,"link_external":179,"featured":31,"topics":180,"languages":181,"type":182,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":183,"tags":184,"pdf":185,"authors":186},[21,22],[177,178],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":188,"name":189,"position":7,"image":7},559,"Dr Saba Kassa",{"id":73,"publications_id":191,"authors_id":204},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":8,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":38,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":192,"link_internal":193,"link_external":196,"featured":31,"topics":197,"languages":198,"type":199,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":200,"tags":201,"pdf":202,"authors":203},[21,22],[194,195],{"url":25,"caption":26},{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[33],[15],[36],[],[51,65,66,67],[69,70],[72,73],{"id":205,"name":206,"position":7,"image":207},296,"Monica Guy","6d95cf25-5e8f-4eb1-b46a-daca726475db",[209,249,283,328,372,402,472,530,576,614],{"id":210,"slug":211,"title":212,"status":6,"nid":213,"year":16,"body":214,"external":19,"topic":215,"language":15,"type":216,"date_published":217,"image":218,"citation":14,"publisher":17,"link_internal":219,"link_external":221,"authors":222,"countries":229,"tags":230,"pdf":243,"topics":245,"featured":31,"languages":246,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":247,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":9,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":248},2393,"qg38","Quick Guide 38: Border corruption",2766,"Border corruption – defined simply as an illegal exchange between border officials and private actors – is a complex phenomenon with serious impacts on safety, health and security. And stopping it isn’t as easy as just stepping up enforcement.\n\nThis Quick Guide covers the what, who and why of border corruption. It is based on deep research for the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Ffalcon-takes-basel-institute-contribute-anti-corruption-expertise-eu-research-project\">FALCON project\u003C\u002Fa>. More such research is needed to help design effective strategies to prevent corruption from undermining border security.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nYou are free to share and republish this work under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.",[21,22],[36],"2025-02-27","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F527d8fca-b273-4fce-aa2f-d58c09b6f41b?width=600&height=840",[220],{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[223,227],{"authors_id":224},{"id":225,"name":226},550,"Dr Jacopo Costa",{"authors_id":228},{"id":188,"name":189},[],[231,235,237,239],{"tags_id":232},{"id":233,"name":234},859,"Corruption risks",{"tags_id":236},{"id":92,"name":93},{"tags_id":238},{"id":126,"name":127},{"tags_id":240},{"id":241,"name":242},1374,"Law enforcement",[244],2434,[33],[15],"2025-02-27T11:05:31.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg38",{"id":250,"slug":251,"title":252,"status":6,"nid":253,"year":16,"body":254,"external":19,"topic":255,"language":15,"type":256,"date_published":257,"image":258,"citation":14,"publisher":17,"link_internal":259,"link_external":264,"authors":265,"countries":270,"tags":271,"pdf":276,"topics":279,"featured":31,"languages":280,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":281,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":282,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":25},2388,"qg37","Quick Guide 37: Strategic corruption",2757,"This quick guide is the second in a two-part series on the tangible yet under-addressed impacts of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg36\">corruption on security\u003C\u002Fa> and the complex power dynamics at play.\n\nThis second guide goes deeper into a specific security threat: when states use corruption to gain power and influence over other states and even as a geopolitical tool.\n\nIt looks at common features characterising strategic corruption cases, explores what is *strategic* about it and what this means for governance and security. It highlights the usefulness of “strategic corruption” as an analytical concept, but also urges caution in using it to guide domestic security or foreign policy decisions, or approaches to countering corruption.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nYou are free to share and republish this work under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.",[21,22],[36],"2025-02-10","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fa55015c6-0d4a-467c-a507-41fff2ecc82f?width=600&height=840",[260,263],{"url":261,"caption":262},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg36"," View related Quick Guide to corruption and security",{"url":28,"caption":29},[],[266,268],{"authors_id":267},{"id":188,"name":189},{"authors_id":269},{"id":205,"name":206},[],[272,274],{"tags_id":273},{"id":126,"name":127},{"tags_id":275},{"id":109,"name":110},[277,278],2439,2440,[33],[15],"2025-02-10T11:05:55.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:50.000Z",{"id":284,"slug":285,"title":286,"status":6,"nid":287,"year":288,"body":289,"external":19,"topic":290,"language":15,"type":291,"date_published":293,"image":294,"citation":295,"publisher":296,"link_internal":297,"link_external":298,"authors":305,"countries":312,"tags":317,"pdf":322,"topics":323,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":324,"user_updated":325,"date_updated":326,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":327},2435,"conceptualizing-evolution-corruption-empirical-analysis-italy","Conceptualizing the evolution of corruption: an empirical analysis from Italy",2911,2026,"In a new peer-reviewed journal article, Jacopo Costa and Claudia Baez Camargo look into why and how corruption evolves over time, drawing on an empirical analysis from Italy. The article was published in *Trends in Organized Crime*.\n\n### Abstract\n\nCorruption evolves over time. This paper investigates why and how this evolution happens. The analysis has employed a combination of qualitative network and document analysis to explore the configuration of corruption in two moments in Italy and the changes that have happened in between them.\n\nThe findings have disclosed that a higher efficiency of the activities of the criminal-justice chain, the transformation of the critical actors and the reform of legal frameworks and governance systems have been critical in determining the evolution of corruption.\n\nThe added value of the research lies in its ability to examine these transformative mechanisms within a conceptual framework that keeps together the fact that corruption is networked and that networks evolve over time.\n",[21,22],[292],"Article","2026-02-03","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F8fdd73a7-79ec-4940-aa53-01a9f94922f2?width=600&height=840","Costa, J., Baez Camargo, C. Conceptualizing the evolution of corruption: an empirical analysis from Italy. *Trends Organ Crim* (2026). \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-025-09586-0\">https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-025-09586-0\u003C\u002Fa>","Springer Nature (Trends in Organized Crime)",[],[299,302],{"url":300,"caption":301},"https:\u002F\u002Frdcu.be\u002Fe1Z0q","Access full-text view-only version",{"url":303,"caption":304},"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-025-09586-0"," View on publisher website",[306,308],{"authors_id":307},{"id":225,"name":226},{"authors_id":309},{"id":310,"name":311},572,"Dr Claudia Baez Camargo",[313],{"countries_id":314},{"id":315,"name":316},108,"Italy",[318,320],{"tags_id":319},{"id":75,"name":76},{"tags_id":321},{"id":92,"name":93},[],[33],"2026-02-27T15:11:33.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2026-05-31T23:16:17.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fconceptualizing-evolution-corruption-empirical-analysis-italy",{"id":329,"slug":330,"title":331,"status":6,"nid":332,"year":16,"body":333,"external":19,"topic":334,"language":15,"type":336,"date_published":338,"image":339,"citation":340,"publisher":17,"link_internal":341,"link_external":345,"authors":346,"countries":351,"tags":352,"pdf":364,"topics":367,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":368,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":369,"main_points":7,"short_version":370,"subtitle":7,"link":371},2425,"wp-60","Working Paper 60: Understanding the enemy: Insights from corrupt networks to improve anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives",2867,"Corruption is not simply about individual misconduct. It is a networked phenomenon that arises from entrenched social, economic and political interactions. It is orchestrated through coordination between groups and clusters of individuals.\n\nThis Working Paper explores the networked nature of corruption and the opportunities this presents for anti-corruption efforts. The aim is to understand how shifting the unit of analysis from individuals to networks helps to understand the persistence and resilience of corruption, while opening up new anti-corruption perspectives.\n\nA meta-analysis of findings from more than 15 years of research on informal networks and corruption underpins the conceptualisation of corrupt networks. The paper argues that a focus on networks helps to shed light on the functionality of corruption – from petty bribery to large-scale public procurement fraud – and the underlying social norms that enable it.\n\nUnderstanding the structures, functions and modus operandi of the informal networks associated with corruption and applying the network logic to anti-corruption strategies can help to achieve better outcomes. The paper specifically looks at anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives, suggesting that these should emulate positive aspects of informal networks.\n\n### About this Working Paper\n\nThis paper is published as part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish it under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002Fdeed.en\">BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> International Licence.\n\nThe contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.\n\n",[335,21,22],"Collective Action",[337],"Working Paper","2025-11-04","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F3fc6640b-79d3-481c-a74c-fc1979923c1b?width=600&height=840","Baez Camargo, Claudia, and Jacopo Costa. 2025. 'Understanding the enemy: Insights from corrupt networks to improve anticorruption Collective Action initiatives.'Working Paper 60, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60\">baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60\u003C\u002Fa>.",[342],{"url":343,"caption":344},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Working%20Paper"," View all Working Papers",[],[347,349],{"authors_id":348},{"id":310,"name":311},{"authors_id":350},{"id":225,"name":226},[],[353,356,358,362],{"tags_id":354},{"id":355,"name":335},909,{"tags_id":357},{"id":75,"name":76},{"tags_id":359},{"id":360,"name":361},1309,"Informality",{"tags_id":363},{"id":92,"name":93},[365,366],2480,2481,[335,33],"2025-11-04T17:05:36.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:56.000Z","This Working Paper reflects on the networked nature of corruption and the\nlessons that can be learned from studying it. Particularly, it provides insights into\nthe opportunities and challenges of designing and implementing anti-corruption\nCollective Action initiatives.\n\nThe authors consider corruption not as a series of isolated acts by individuals,\nbut as the outcome of complex, resilient informal networks embedded within\nsocio-political, economic and cultural structures. Within this framework, they\ninvestigate how shifting the unit of analysis from individuals to networks can\nimprove our understanding of the persistence of corruption and create new\nperspectives to promote better anti-corruption outcomes and impacts.\n\nDrawing on over 15 years of empirical research across diverse countries and\nregions, the authors argue that corruption must be viewed through a network\nlens. This approach reveals how informal connections facilitate rule subversion,\nproblem-solving and goal achievement where formal institutions are weak or\nineffective.\n\nThe paper contends that a focus on networks sheds light on the functionality\nof corruption and the underlying social norms enabling corrupt exchanges.\nUnderstanding the structures, functions and modus operandi of the informal\nnetworks associated with corruption can help design better anti-corruption\ninitiatives.\n\nThe Working Paper contributes to the existing literature on corruption strategies\nand anti-corruption activities.\n\n**First**, the authors explore how **informal networks rooted in trust, reciprocity\nand social norms can serve practical functions**, including accessing public\nservices, boosting business profitability and winning elections. The strength\nof informal networks lies in their adaptability, internal organisation and\nembeddedness in local cultures.\n\nThe authors identify **six core roles in informal networks** that pursue corrupt\nobjectives: seekers, doers, brokers, facilitators, intermediaries and instigators.\nThe coordination and division of tasks among these six roles make such informal\nnetworks effective in achieving their goals.\n\nIn addition, the authors unpack **the most important strategies these corrupt\ninformal networks rely on** for their functioning. These strategies are:\n\n- co-optation (recruitment and trust building);\n- control (discipline and compliance);\n- camouflage (concealment and legitimacy); and\n- coordination (task orchestration and adaptability).\n\n**Second**, the authors set out **concrete implications for anti-corruption\nactivities** based on insights on how informal networks operate. They state that\ntraditional top-down, normative approaches often fail due to the functionality\nof corruption (i.e., corruption is always a means to an end) and the social\nembeddedness of corrupt networks.\n\nThe authors propose to apply the network logic to anti-corruption strategies. This\npaper particularly focuses on **Collective Action initiatives** and suggests that\nthese should emulate positive aspects of informal networks. Collective Action\nrefers to collaborative efforts – typically involving businesses, civil society and\u002For\npublic institutions – to tackle corruption risks and shared integrity challenges that\nno single actor can resolve alone.\n\nThis means that, to be effective, these Collective Action initiatives must be\nbased on:\n\n- **Functional goals:** Set short-term, tangible goals aligned with participants’ interests.\n- **Strategic co-optation:** Recruit key stakeholders strategically, including those who are prone to corruption risks, by using trust-building mechanisms that can supply an added value to the stakeholders.\n- **Transparency and accountability:** Leverage mechanisms of peer pressure and reputation management that can ensure sustained commitment and engagement among participants and deter free-riding strategies.\n\nIn conclusion, to foster integrity in today’s fragmented and conflict-prone world,\nanti-corruption initiatives generally must shift from targeting individuals to\ntargeting the networks that sustain corruption. Sustainable change requires\nlocally rooted, trust-based collective efforts that provide functional, credible and\ncoordinated alternatives to illicit networks.\n\nIn this sense, Collective Action initiatives built on conceptualising corruption\nas a networked problem can be an effective solution for achieving\nanti-corruption goals","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60",{"id":373,"slug":374,"title":375,"status":6,"nid":376,"year":16,"body":377,"external":19,"topic":378,"language":15,"type":379,"date_published":381,"image":382,"citation":14,"publisher":383,"link_internal":384,"link_external":385,"authors":389,"countries":390,"tags":391,"pdf":396,"topics":398,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":399,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":400,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":401},2400,"high-level-corruption-analysis-schemes-costs-and-policy-recommendations","High-level Corruption: an Analysis of Schemes, Costs and of Policy Recommendations",2797,"### Policy Brief of Project FALCON\n\nCorruption affects communities worldwide. It undermines civil, political and economic rights, erodes trust in institutions and impedes economic progress. A new Policy Brief by the FALCON (Fight Against Large-scale Corruption and Organised Crime Networks) project unveils new insights in the fight against high-level corruption.\n\nIt provides an in-depth examination of corruption schemes and their societal impacts, alongside actionable policy recommendations to enhance anti-corruption efforts across Europe. The analysis offers valuable resources for policymakers, law enforcement and legal professionals.\n\nWithin the FALCON project, the findings in the Policy Brief are being used to develop data-driven tools that enhance the analysis of corruption and help combat it more effectively.\n\nThe Basel Institute on Governance is an associated partner of the FALCON project. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fdr-claudia-baez-camargo\">Claudia Baez Camargo\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fdr-jacopo-costa\">Jacopo Costa\u003C\u002Fa> have contributed to the Policy Brief, covering the aspect of border corruption specifically and providing the policy recommendations for all four corruption domains analysed by FALCON.\n\n*FALCON is funded under the Horizon Europe Framework Program Grant Agreement ID 101121281. The Basel Institute on Governance receives funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).*",[21,22],[380],"Report","2025-04-14","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F7607fbd5-10a0-4e80-8b5a-e5a873b16882?width=600&height=840","Transcrime – Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime",[],[386],{"url":387,"caption":388},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.falcon-horizon.eu\u002F2025\u002F04\u002Fpolicy-brief-unveils-new-insights-in-the-fight-against-high-level-corruption\u002F"," FALCON Press Release",[],[],[392,394],{"tags_id":393},{"id":75,"name":76},{"tags_id":395},{"id":92,"name":93},[397],2441,[33],"2025-04-14T10:05:13.000Z","2026-05-23T20:08:04.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fhigh-level-corruption-analysis-schemes-costs-and-policy-recommendations",{"id":403,"slug":404,"title":405,"status":6,"nid":406,"year":288,"body":407,"external":19,"topic":408,"language":15,"type":410,"date_published":411,"image":412,"citation":14,"publisher":413,"link_internal":414,"link_external":415,"authors":422,"countries":439,"tags":444,"pdf":465,"topics":467,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":468,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":469,"main_points":470,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":471},2433,"addressing-conflicts-interest-and-corruption-indonesias-energy-transition","Addressing conflicts of interest and corruption in Indonesia’s energy transition",2936,"This U4 Issue analyses Indonesia's ambitious energy transition and highlights how political finance, weak regulations and a \"revolving door\" of personnel between public office and the private sector create vulnerabilities. The publication was produced by U4 and the Basel Institute on Governance through its Green Corruption programme.\n\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2026-02\u002FAddressing-conflicts-of-interest-and-corruption-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition_U4-Issue.pdf\">Download publication here\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\n### About the paper\n\nConflicts of interest and corruption in Indonesia's political economy pose significant risks to its energy transition, including the Just Energy Transition Partnership. Existing legal and institutional frameworks are fragmented, inconsistently applied, and often fail to address the risk of state capture by powerful political and economic actors, especially in the extractive and energy sectors.\n\nThe reliance on fossil fuel industries for political financing and the monopolistic nature of state-owned entities further complicate the shift to a low- or no-carbon system, despite the country's ambitious renewable energy targets.\n\nPotential pathways to greater anti-corruption resilience lie in improvements to beneficial ownership transparency and strengthening regulation, monitoring and sanctioning of conflict of interest violations.\n",[409],"Green Corruption",[380],"2026-02-24","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fd97f2ca5-300d-45c9-9de9-33152b72f96c?width=600&height=840","U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre",[],[416,419],{"url":417,"caption":418},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.u4.no\u002Fpublications\u002Faddressing-conflicts-of-interest-and-corruption-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition"," View on U4 website",{"url":420,"caption":421},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.u4.no\u002Fblog\u002Fimproving-anti-corruption-resilience-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition"," Read related U4 blog",[423,427,431,435],{"authors_id":424},{"id":425,"name":426},581,"Robert Forster",{"authors_id":428},{"id":429,"name":430},582,"Aled Williams",{"authors_id":432},{"id":433,"name":434},523,"Lakso Anindito",{"authors_id":436},{"id":437,"name":438},579,"Dr Amanda Cabrejo le Roux",[440],{"countries_id":441},{"id":442,"name":443},99,"Indonesia",[445,447,451,455,459,463],{"tags_id":446},{"id":75,"name":76},{"tags_id":448},{"id":449,"name":450},818,"Anti-money laundering",{"tags_id":452},{"id":453,"name":454},804,"Natural resources",{"tags_id":456},{"id":457,"name":458},1371,"Public governance",{"tags_id":460},{"id":461,"name":462},1236,"Compliance",{"tags_id":464},{"id":126,"name":127},[466],2489,[409],"2026-02-27T15:11:31.000Z","2026-05-23T20:08:18.000Z","- Corruption and conflicts of interest are embedded in the energy transition process due to the strong links between political power, private wealth (especially from extractive industries) and public office holders.\n- Existing anti-corruption regulations are often vague, fragmented across different legal instruments, and suffer from inconsistent enforcement, which creates loopholes susceptible to manipulation.\n- Progress in renewable energy uptake is slowed by the enduring influence and interests of fossil fuel incumbents who benefit from subsidies that keep coal an artificially cheap and viable energy source.\n- The Just Energy Transition Partnership is vulnerable to misallocations due to concentrated decision-making power, limited transparency in project selection and insufficient involvement of national anti-corruption bodies and civil society in its planning.\n- Improving transparency of beneficial ownership and strengthening the monitoring and sanctioning of conflict of interest violations are possible pathways to build greater anti-corruption resilience, though these institutional efforts alone are insufficient to fully address state capture dynamics.","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Faddressing-conflicts-interest-and-corruption-indonesias-energy-transition",{"id":473,"slug":474,"title":475,"status":6,"nid":476,"year":477,"body":478,"external":19,"topic":479,"language":15,"type":481,"date_published":483,"image":484,"citation":485,"publisher":17,"link_internal":486,"link_external":490,"authors":491,"countries":504,"tags":513,"pdf":522,"topics":524,"featured":19,"languages":526,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":527,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":528,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":529},1760,"policy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice","Policy Brief 9: Informal networks and what they mean for anti-corruption practice",2166,2022,"Corruption is frequently associated with money alone and the behaviours of a few individual “bad apples” operating in otherwise healthy governance systems. This is too simplistic. As the latest research shows, including research in Tanzania and Uganda on which this Policy Brief is based, corruption is a networked phenomenon. This Policy Brief explains what this means and its implications for anti-corruption practice.\n\nWhen ordinary citizens and business people face problems, like constrained access to public services or an uneven playing field, they invest time, effort and resources in building informal networks.\n\nHeld together by personal connections and corrupt payments, these informal networks are a problem-solving mechanism. They allow members – such as business people, other citizens and public officials – to pursue a variety of goals. The networks aid in easing access to public services, for example, or helping a business to run smoothly, or securing business opportunities with the government. Informal networks can be leveraged to speed up long and complicated permit processes or exploit weaknesses in formal tender processes to obtain undue access to contracts. When red tape is used by public officials to extort bribes from service users, informal networks can help manage and overcome these demands. \n\nIn contexts in which these informal networks are widespread, the research shows that conventional anti-corruption measures, such as introducing more regulations, policies and controls, can actually backfire and increase corruption. \n\nBreaking this self-reinforcing cycle of networked corruption requires a shift in thinking and approaches:\n\n\n- **Focusing on networked corruption** as opposed to individual corrupt behaviours.\n- **Tackling corruption both from the demand and the supply side** by addressing inefficiencies and weaknesses in public systems that cause problems for ordinary citizens and business people. This may make it less likely that they will resort to corruption through informal networks to overcome the public service weaknesses.\n- **Harnessing informal networks for anti-corruption objectives.** This includes leveraging new insights into social norms and networks and establishing Collective Action initiatives to better target the underlying drivers of corruption.\n\n\n## About this Policy Brief\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Policy Brief series, ISSN 2624-9669. It presents findings from a research project entitled “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Face.globalintegrity.org\u002Fprojects\u002Finformality\u002F\">Harnessing informality: Designing anti-corruption network interventions and strategic use of legal instruments\u003C\u002Fa>”, funded by UK Aid as part of the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme (GI-ACE).\n\nIt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). ",[480],"Public Governance",[482],"Policy Brief","2022-02-21","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fc9f50b43-2246-4e39-a1b1-052b0e9829f1?width=600&height=840","Baez Camargo, Claudia, Jacopo Costa, and Saba Kassa. 2022. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpolicy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice\">Informal networks and what they mean for anti-corruption practice.\u003C\u002Fa> *Policy Brief* 9, Basel Institute on Governance.",[487],{"url":488,"caption":489},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Policy%20Brief"," View all Policy Briefs",[],[492,496,500],{"authors_id":493},{"id":494,"name":495},295,"Claudia Baez Camargo",{"authors_id":497},{"id":498,"name":499},304,"Jacopo Costa",{"authors_id":501},{"id":502,"name":503},303,"Saba Kassa",[505,509],{"countries_id":506},{"id":507,"name":508},224,"Tanzania",{"countries_id":510},{"id":511,"name":512},226,"Uganda",[514,516,518,520],{"tags_id":515},{"id":75,"name":76},{"tags_id":517},{"id":355,"name":335},{"tags_id":519},{"id":126,"name":127},{"tags_id":521},{"id":360,"name":361},[523],1786,[525],"Corruption Prevention and Public Governance",[15],"2022-04-27T11:53:17.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:04.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fpolicy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice",{"id":531,"slug":532,"title":533,"status":6,"nid":534,"year":477,"body":535,"external":19,"topic":536,"language":15,"type":538,"date_published":539,"image":540,"citation":14,"publisher":541,"link_internal":542,"link_external":549,"authors":556,"countries":559,"tags":560,"pdf":569,"topics":570,"featured":19,"languages":572,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":573,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":574,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":575},1764,"nexus-between-corruption-and-money-laundering-deconstructing-toledo-odebrecht-network","The nexus between corruption and money laundering: deconstructing the Toledo‑Odebrecht network in Peru",2168,"The paper targets the nexus between corruption and money laundering. Scholars and practitioners recently observed how offshore financial centers and financial infrastructures have become central in facilitating corruption and other criminal activities. \n\nOffshore vehicles often serve to conceal the connections between business people and politically exposed persons. Secrecy jurisdictions and service providers have emerged as key actors in these illicit schemes. \n\nThe paper explores the following questions: \n\n\n- How do money laundering activities and offshore financial infrastructures sustain corruption? \n- Who are the key actors involved, how do they interact, and their division of labor? \n- How do actors and clusters govern the social-financial web of relations? \n\n\nIt applies a combination of social network analysis (SNA) and network ethnography to the corrupt connection between the former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht Group. The research analyzes publicly available data from the Lava Jato and Ecoteva investigations in Brazil and Peru. It deconstructs the illicit scheme’s mechanisms step-by-step, uncovers the functions of different actors and clusters, and illuminates the social norms and informal governance practices that regulate the exchange. \n\nThe research highlights how the financial infrastructures of the private and public spheres are integrated and analyzes the informal governance system designed to control the transnational corruption network. The study makes it possible to understand how the nexus between corruption and money laundering works. It also supports the emerging understanding of corruption as a collective, transnational and financially advanced phenomenon.\n\n### Acknowledgement and citation\n\nThe paper is based on research conducted as part of a collaboration  between the Basel Institute’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublic-governance\">Public Governance\u003C\u002Fa> team and its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\">International Centre for Asset Recovery\u003C\u002Fa> (ICAR). \n\nCitation: Costa, Jacopo. 2022. \"The nexus between corruption and money laundering: deconstructing the Toledo-Odebrecht network in Peru.\" *Trends in Organized Crime*. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-021-09439-6\">https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-021-09439-6\u003C\u002Fa>",[537,480],"Asset Recovery",[292],"2022-01-22","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F4b7fd4da-0259-4632-8540-f820c115706d?width=600&height=840","Trends in Organized Crime",[543,546],{"url":544,"caption":545},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-36-revealing-networks-behind-corruption-and-money-laundering-schemes"," See related Basel Institute Working Paper 36: Revealing the networks behind corruption and money laundering schemes: an analysis of the Toledo–Odebrecht case using social network analysis and network ethnography",{"url":547,"caption":548},"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-analysis-of-the-toledo-odebrecht-case-illuminates-the-complex-transnational-networks-behind-corruption-and-money-laundering-schemes-2051"," See related blog: New analysis of the Toledo-Odebrecht case illuminates the complex transnational networks behind corruption and money laundering schemes",[550,553],{"url":551,"caption":552},"https:\u002F\u002Frdcu.be\u002FcFtsR","View article (full text, no download)",{"url":554,"caption":555},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12117-021-09439-6"," Log in to Springer Link to download article",[557],{"authors_id":558},{"id":498,"name":499},[],[561,563,567],{"tags_id":562},{"id":126,"name":127},{"tags_id":564},{"id":565,"name":566},879,"Money laundering",{"tags_id":568},{"id":92,"name":93},[],[571,525],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[15],"2022-04-27T11:53:20.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:05.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fnexus-between-corruption-and-money-laundering-deconstructing-toledo-odebrecht-network",{"id":577,"slug":578,"title":579,"status":6,"nid":580,"year":16,"body":581,"external":19,"topic":582,"language":15,"type":583,"date_published":584,"image":585,"citation":14,"publisher":17,"link_internal":586,"link_external":594,"authors":595,"countries":600,"tags":601,"pdf":608,"topics":610,"featured":31,"languages":611,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":53,"date_created":612,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":282,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":613},2387,"qg35","Quick Guide 35: Sexual corruption",2745,"Sexual corruption is a serious and under-recognised form of both corruption and sexual abuse. A particularly harmful form of corruption, it is difficult to measure and prosecute, and can have devastating physical and psychological impacts on survivors\u002Fvictims.\n\nAs it disproportionately affects women and marginalised groups, sexual corruption has an important impact on the advancement of gender equality and minority rights.\n\nThis Quick Guide explains the basics of sexual corruption: what it is, its prevalence and why it persists. It takes a brief look at strategies to combat sexual corruption, with a focus on challenging the underlying social norms that help to sustain it.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nYou are free to share and republish this work under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.",[21,22],[36],"2025-01-27","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Feaef85d0-af6f-4484-8800-2c0fb0bfb039?width=600&height=840",[587,588,591],{"url":28,"caption":29},{"url":589,"caption":590},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-10-social-norms-and-corruption","For more on social norms, see our Quick Guide 10: Social norms and corruption",{"url":592,"caption":593},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-6","For more on the prevalence of sexual corruption, see Research Case Study 6: Sextortion – an unaddressed form of corruption and sexual abuse",[],[596],{"authors_id":597},{"id":598,"name":599},557,"Jude Schönberg",[],[602,604],{"tags_id":603},{"id":126,"name":127},{"tags_id":605},{"id":606,"name":607},848,"Behavioural science",[609],2426,[33],[15],"2025-01-27T11:05:26.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg35",{"id":615,"slug":616,"title":617,"status":6,"nid":618,"year":288,"body":619,"external":19,"topic":7,"language":7,"type":620,"date_published":621,"image":622,"citation":7,"publisher":7,"link_internal":623,"link_external":624,"authors":628,"countries":639,"tags":644,"pdf":649,"topics":651,"featured":19,"languages":652,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":54,"date_created":653,"user_updated":54,"date_updated":654,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":655},2437,"evolution-corruption-and-crimes-kapitan-andreevo-border-checkpoint-impact-eu-accession","The Evolution of Corruption and Crimes at Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint: The Impact of EU Accession",2960,"Published in the _Journal of Illicit Trade, Financial Crime, and Compliance_, this article examines how Bulgaria’s 2007 accession to the European Union transformed illegal activities and corruption at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint.\n\nWhile the introduction of stricter EU regulations and advanced surveillance technology aimed to secure the border, these measures had the effect of transforming criminal strategies and corruption. The authors detail a shift from blatant smuggling to more sophisticated financial frauds, VAT carousel schemes and the illicit privatisation of public border functions.\n\nThe article highlights that in some cases, it was the bribery schemes that evolved to bypass new standards. In other cases – particularly involving drug trafficking and the smuggling of human beings – it was the criminal strategies that transformed, including advanced concealment methods or new smuggling routes.\n\nThe study also offers a nuanced perspective on the relationship between corruption and criminal activites at border checkpoints: stronger capacity to counter criminal activities could lead to an increase in the risk of corruption, while a more coherent anti corruption framework could trigger criminal activities to evolve. Ultimately, the article argues that anti-crime and anti-corruption policies must account for this evolutionary nature.",[292],"2026-05-01","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F2a662dae-21a7-4e84-971d-1c8a70f4754b?width=600&height=840",[],[625],{"url":626,"caption":627},"https:\u002F\u002Fjitfccjournal.com\u002Findex.php\u002Fjitfcc\u002Farticle\u002Fview\u002F16","View on Journal website",[629,631,633,637],{"authors_id":630},{"id":498,"name":499},{"authors_id":632},{"id":494,"name":495},{"authors_id":634},{"id":635,"name":636},584,"Noémi Jäger",{"authors_id":638},{"id":502,"name":503},[640],{"countries_id":641},{"id":642,"name":643},22,"Bulgaria",[645,647],{"tags_id":646},{"id":233,"name":234},{"tags_id":648},{"id":75,"name":76},[650],2492,[33],[15],"2026-06-01T22:10:25.000Z","2026-06-01T22:34:25.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fevolution-corruption-and-crimes-kapitan-andreevo-border-checkpoint-impact-eu-accession",1780676552948]