Among Transparency International’s good works are its country reports, called national integrity system (NIS) assessments. TI has published more than 70 since 1991.
A scoring system measures the integrity of a country’s institutions, both public and private. A low score means corruption can take hold, or already has.
A local organization usually leads the research, aided by one or two outside experts.
The reports focus on “13 pillars of integrity which should – if functioning correctly – help a nation to withstand the threat of corruption. These pillars include the legislative, executive, judiciary and law enforcement agencies, and also the media, business, political parties and civil society, among others.”
Each report includes an NIS Temple — like the one pictured above. It’s a quick way to see the condition of a country’s pillars.
“In the same way as hurricane defenses help a house withstand a storm,” TI said, “a strong National Integrity System helps to prevent, detect, and punish corrupt actions which could otherwise over time potentially put the whole governance of a country at risk.”
The latest NIS report covered the Turks and Caicos Islands, where in 2009 Britain suspended home rule due to pervasive corruption. (“TI hopes that this NIS report will be a useful tool for all stakeholders working towards building a corruption-free future for the Turks and Caicos Islands.”)
The other reports are here.
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