Better management of public infrastructure projects could save significant amounts of taxpayers’ money and result in better buildings, roads and bridges. But the public officials managing the projects are often unaware of academic frameworks and tools that could help them to manage the investments more efficiently and transparently.

A new academic course developed by our Subnational Public Finance Management Strengthening Programme (Programa GFP) and the University of Piura seeks to address that issue for public officials in Peru.

Corruption prevention measures are often talked about at the national level: “Governments need to do this and that to prevent corruption.”

But Peru’s Regional Government of San Martín provides a good example of what can be achieved at the subnational levels to increase public integrity and transparency.

The ingredients: strong political commitment, a clear understanding of regional corruption vulnerabilities and dedicated technical support.

A medida que ampliamos nuestros esfuerzos para apoyar la Acción Colectiva contra la corrupción en América Latina, Andrea Prieto, especialista en el sector privado, hace un balance de las iniciativas existentes en la región. Ella y representantes de algunas de las iniciativas discutieron el enfoque de Acción Colectiva para combatir la corrupción en Lima, Perú, en la Octava Semana de la Integridad organizada por Alliance for Integrity.

As we expand our efforts to support Collective Action against corruption in Latin America, Private Sector Specialist Andrea Prieto takes stock of existing initiatives in the region. She and representatives from some of the initiatives discussed the Collective Action approach to fighting corruption in Lima, Peru at the Eighth Integrity Week organised by Alliance for Integrity.

In an article published in the inaugural issue of the Bulletin of The International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators, Oscar Solorzano and Gretta Fenner analyse a recent decision of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which cleared the way for returning funds tied to corruption to Peru. The decision sets an important precedent for the use of non-conviction based forfeiture laws to recover illicit assets in the absence of a criminal conviction. This is a crucial step in the fight against global corruption. 

Our Subnational Public Finance Management (PFM) Strengthening Programme in Peru is ramping up efforts to encourage peer learning, capacity building and innovation on public-sector integrity, with the first joint public integrity workshop held on 14 July 2023.

Leaders from six regional governments joined representatives from Peru’s central Public Integrity Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss progress and challenges in the country’s Regional Integrity Strengthening Agenda.

The San Martín region of northern Peru is known for its Amazon rainforest and rich biodiversity. To protect these, the regional authorities have recently agreed an action plan to reduce corruption risks in the timber trade, which is an important local source of livelihoods.

The action plan is based on principles of integrity and transparency and takes into account Peruvian laws and regulations such as the General Guidelines to Implement Internal Control Systems and Recommendations for the Management of Risks Affecting Public Integrity.

Corruption is increasingly understood as a form of collective, social behaviour. It slips easily across borders and involves sophisticated financial strategies and transactions to launder the stolen money. 

Yet the nexus between corruption and money laundering is poorly understood. So too are the structures, functions and mechanisms that enable these crimes.