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STORY: WASHINGTON D.C. / INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION HUNTERS ALLIANCE LAUNCH
TRT 2:47
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE DECEMBER 7, 2010, WASHINGTON, D.C.
1. Med shot, President Zoellick and US Senator Patrick Leahy
2. Med shot, Vice President at podium, Mr. Leonard McCarthy
3. Med shot, President Zoellick, Senator Leahy and McCarthy at podium
4. Wide shot, audience listening
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Leahy, Senator, United States:
“Widespread systemic corruption is one of the biggest obstacles we face in trying to help these countries.”
6. Wide shot, Senator Leahy and audience
7. Med shot, audience listening
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Leahy, Senator, United States:
“In the past few years, public corruption has become one of the key concerns of donor and developing countries alike and I applaud the World Bank and this Alliance for confronting this difficult but critically important issue.”
9. Med shot, single audience member listening
10. Wideshot, audience clapping
11. Wide shot, Zoellick speaking
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank Group:
“Our strategy combines actions today while also trying to shape the governance and business environment for the future. At present we are establishing integrity safeguards to protect our projects, we also investigating in sanctioning those who cheat and steal and we refer cases to national authorities for criminal action that is beyond our writ. That’s where our partnership with many of you becomes particularly important.”
13. Wide shot, audience writing
14. Close up, pens writing
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President World Bank Group:
“You cheat or steal from one of us and you are going to be punished by all of us.”
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President World Bank Group:
“Stealing is bad enough, but ripping off the poor is absolutely disgusting. We need to trigger a moral revulsion as well as a legal reaction.”
17. Pan left right audience
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President World Bank Group:
“It is time to turn the tables. This International Corruption Hunters alliance has the potential to make a big difference. So lets all turn this potential into reality.”
19. Wide shot audience clapping
20. Med shot, VP McCarthy thanking Zoellick
Wide shot, people shaking hands with Zoellick
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Zimmermann, Director, The World Bank Group:
“This really takes the fight up the international level. I think very often corruption is thought of as a national problem within a particular country but really it is an international problem. And building a global alliance allows us to really cross borders and fight corruption, across different borders more effectively.”
22. Wide shot people thanking Zoellick
23. Wide shot woman talking to Zoellick
24. Med shot, woman talking to Zoellick: “this is a great idea”
The fight against global corruption has gained new momentum. Over 200 officials from 134 countries are gathered at the World Bank’s Washington headquarters in order to coordinate their efforts in fighting corrupt officials and companies.
Prominent speakers pointed out that developing countries in particular suffer from fraud and a weakened rule of law.
SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Leahy, Senator, United States:
“Widespread systemic corruption is one of the biggest obstacles we face in trying to help these countries.
SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Leahy, Senator, United States:
“In the past few years, public corruption has become one of the key concerns of donor and developing countries alike and I applaud the World Bank and this Alliance for confronting this difficult but critically important issue.”
The World Bank has committed to strengthen transparency and accountability in affected countries and enhance the project design, supervision and evaluation of development projects.
SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President World Bank Group:
“Our strategy combines actions today while also trying to shape the governance and business environment for the future. At present we are establishing integrity safeguards to protect our projects, we also investigating in sanctioning those who cheat and steal and we refer cases to national authorities for criminal action that is beyond our writ. That’s where our partnership with many of you becomes particularly important.”
One of the recent anti-corruption steps taken is the cross-debarment agreement among Multilateral Banks. Therefore companies who were engaged in fraud and consequently debarred by the World Bank Group can no longer seek business from the other banks.
SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, President World Bank Group:
“You cheat or steal from one of us and you are going to be punished by all of us. Stealing is bad enough, but ripping off the poor is absolutely disgusting. We need to trigger a moral revulsion as well as a legal reaction. It is time to turn the tables. This International Corruption Hunters alliance has the potential to make a big difference. So lets all turn this potential into reality. “
The corruption hunters alliance brings together 250 senior officials from more than 134 countries. Their cooperation will, among other things, result in the improved recovery of stolen assets.
SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Zimmermann, Director, The World Bank Group:
“This really takes the fight up the international level. I think very often corruption is thought of as a national problem within a particular country but really it is an international problem. And building a global alliance allows us to really cross borders and fight corruption, across different borders more effectively.”
Governance and anti-corruption remains central to the World Bank’s overall mission. During the last financial year nearly 1,200 people were trained by the Bank to discover fraud in procurement and in managing integrity risks in development projects, making this the largest number of such trainees ever in World Bank history.
