Submission on the Integrated Review

In September 2020, the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition submitted to the UK Government’s call for evidence on the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Corruption is a significant and cross-cutting threat to the UK that weakens national security, harms prosperity, and damages our international standing. However, the Integrated Review also provides an opportunity to rethink our approach to corruption and better utilise the UK’s existing expertise.

The UK Government should:

• Develop a long-term anti-corruption strategy at the international level, drawing on the Home Office’s Anti-Corruption Strategy 2017-2022.

• Utilise the UK’s world-leading pool of expertise within DFID, the Home Office, civil society, and academia, whilst properly resourcing anti-corruption work within the Government.

• Build prosperity at home and abroad by enshrining anti-corruption and transparency initiatives in new free trade agreements and ensuring higher standards for development finance, in support for exports, and in procurement transparency.

• Protect the UK from strategic corruption by implementing key reforms to stop the proceeds of corruption being laundered and hidden in the UK and Overseas Territories.

• Continue our global leadership in key areas including beneficial ownership, asset recovery, public procurement, open data, commodity trading and payment disclosure, and ongoing support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).