OWG Proposed Target 16.5
RATING: UNCERTAIN There are several ways to reduce corruption – introduce anti-corruption bodies, increase transparency, greater enforcement, changing expectations and norms and reducing bureaucracy. Unfortunately, the evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions is not conclusive. Furthermore, indicators that actually measure reduction in corruption are not entirely satisfactory.
Aiming to reduce corruption and bribery “in all its forms” is immense and very general. There are some measures of some relevant outcomes, but not generally very concrete. At least some pieces of this may be possible, but not as stated.
Setting the Right Global Goals
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You can read about our prioritization project, setting smart, cost-effective goals in this op-ed published around the world including Turkey, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Uganda, South Korea, Costa Rica and the Philippines.
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In our recent report, not just the target above, but all 169 targets have been assessed by 60 teams of the world’s top economists. The targets have been categorized into five ratings based on evidence of economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits. While we applaud that the UN Open Working Group's final outcome document contains 43 fewer targets than the previous document, we are concerned that many targets have simply been combined, therefore reducing the number of both phenomenal and poor targets assessed according to our cost-benefit analysis. Our new assessment includes suggestions for how these can be improved as reported in this article by the Financial Times.