Americas Regional Seat
The Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organisation dedicated to defending the rights of the most disadvantaged groups in society and strengthening democracy in Argentina. Founded in 2002, ACIJ aims to defend the effective application of the Constitution and the principles of rule of law; promote compliance with laws that protect disadvantaged groups and elimination of all discriminatory practices; and to contribute the development of practices of participatory and deliberative democracy.
The work of ACIJ’s Anti-corruption Program focuses on addressing the problems of corruption in Argentina. The program’s view is that democracy necessarily requires the input of citizens in strengthening institutions, as an indirect exercise of popular sovereignty, thus the participation of citizens to face corruption is a prerequisite for positive and sustainable results.
ACIJ seeks to facilitate the public access to clear and organised information related with corruption cases and trials in progress, in order to foster transparency and accountability in the prosecution by the Judiciary and to promote civic engagement against impunity.
Marcelo Giullitti Oliva is a member of the Strengthening Democratic Institutions Program at the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ). He is a specialist in transparency, anti-corruption and justice. He is the author of several publications on these topics –reports, policy briefs, papers and op-eds- and participated as a panellist in various seminars and conferences.
He has led different transparency related projects and has represented ACIJ in national and international civil society networks linked to these issues.
Marcelo is a lawyer, graduated from the University of Tucuman School of Law. He is a professor of Principles of Human Rights and Constitutional Law at the University of Buenos Aires. He is a Masters candidate in Political Science and Sociology at FLACSO.
East Asia, Central Asia and Pacific Regional Seat
The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4 Center) is a leading, non-partisan anti-corruption centre in Malaysia, dedicated to fighting corruption and cronyism at all levels of government. It seeks to open up governments and change the culture of governance by placing accountability, transparency and integrity at the heart of public policy. It endeavours to promote public participation in ensuring effective checks and balances in government.
Since its inception at the end of 2013, C4 Center has risen exponentially in profile and substance, with courageous whistleblowing, naming and shaming of corrupt officials and strong evidence-based research. C4 Center’s uncompromising stand in addressing the root problems of corruption has made them a leading and unwavering voice for good governance.
Cynthia Gabriel is a key advocate for human rights and good governance in Malaysia. She has spent most of her professional life in the field of advancing democratic freedoms, reforms and policy change in the country and region.
She has received the prestigious democracy award by the National Endowment for Democracy, which was given to her at the United States Congress by Speaker Paul Ryan.
After the political change that followed the May 2018 general election, Cynthia has been appointed into the powerful 1MDB special committee by the Council of Eminent Persons, as well as to the council to develop a national anti-corruption plan that will report directly to the Prime Minister.
Cynthia holds degrees in science and law. After brief stints in the private sector, worked as a lecturer at Monash University and collaborated with several United Nations research initiatives in the field of democracy & human rights (OHCHR), governance, organized crime and anti-corruption (UNODC). She served on the international board as Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and co-founded the Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) network. Cynthia has been featured on CNN, BBC World, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Al Jazeera, the New York Times and the Washington Post as a leading human rights advocate and expert on corruption scandals involving Malaysia’s political leadership.
In 2014, together with senior civil society advocates, she co-founded the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) and serves as its Executive Director.
Europe Regional Seat 2
Stefan Batory Foundation (SBF) is focused on building an open, democratic society – a society of people aware of their rights and responsibilities, who are actively involved in the life of their community, country and international society. Since 2000, the Foundation has run the Public Integrity Program (earlier the Anti-corruption Program). The Program focuses on efforts to ensure the transparency of the legislative process and opening it up to the voice of citizens; the limitation of the risks of corruption, nepotism and cronyism linked to the conflict of interest in public life; and to strengthen the role and legal protection of whistleblowers. The Program’s team monitors processes and events which affect the integrity of public life, and makes proposals and recommendations aiming at improving the standards of public life and curbing corruption. The team further takes measures to develop, disseminate and implement solutions which comply with the standard of good governance and accountable government. The Foundation cooperates with other organizations and institutions both in Poland and internationally.
Grzegorz Makowski has been the Program Director of the Public Integrity Program since January of this year (earlier, in 2000-2002 the Coordinator of Anti-Corruption Program in the Foundation). He holds a PhD in sociology and one of his academic specialisations is the problem of corruption and anti-corruption policy. He is author of a number of publications on this topic – research reports, articles and journalistic texts. He is involved in several research and monitoring projects focusing on corruption. Among others, he is the lead researcher for Polish part of the European National Integrity System monitoring conducted by Transparency International (2010-2012), earlier in 2010, and was also lead researcher for the Global Integrity Index in Poland. He is currently an expert of the European Commission for the EU Anti-Corruption Report. He has also participated in the ANTICORP research project, funded by the EU. Since 2015 he has been a member of the UNCAC Coalition Coordination Committee.
Middle East and North Africa Regional Seat
Jordan Transparency Center (JTC) is a non-government and non-profit organisation aiming at enhancing transparency, accountability, governance and fighting corruption through active civic participation and monitoring. JTC has organised and participated in many workshops and conferences in and outside Jordan, including hosting of the First Regional Forum, in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy and NED, entitled “Strengthening Citizenship and Combating Corruption in the Arab Region” in Amman. JTC founded a National Consortium in Jordan to push for amendments to national access to information laws, and also conducted a study on the Carter Center’s access to information Implementation Assessment Tool on seven public agencies in Jordan. JTC is currently working on a project to ensure smooth implementation of national access to information legislation.
Hilda Ajeilat has been JTC president since her election in February 2012. She has successfully managed to transform JTC from a small, local NGO to a key player in Jordan and MENA by exhibiting leadership, perseverance and commitment.
She has good contacts with local, regional and international organisations, and has participated as a keynote speaker in many national, regional and international forums. At the national level, she’s a member at the economic policy development forum chaired by Senator Dr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh. At the regional level, she has been elected as a Coordinator of the NGOs group of ACINET in the 5th Ministerial Meeting of ACINET held in Tunis. At the international level, she’s an elite panel member of Global Honorary Board Advisors for the Confederation of International Accreditation Commission.
Ms. Ajeilat has been the head of the liaison office of three public universities; Director of the Quality Assurance & Accreditation Office, Philadelphia University; General Manager of Al-Hussein Fund for Excellence; President’s Consultant for Quality Assurance & Accreditation, Middle East University in Jordan; and Consultant for Quality Assurance & Accreditation Council, Association of Arab Universities.
South Asia Regional Seat
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the largest accredited national chapter of TI, conducts a robust programme of national and local level research, advocacy and civic engagement. TIB has established a network of 45 Committees of Concerned Citizens (CCCs) in evenly dispersed locations all over the country. This is a social movement driven by volunteers, mostly young college and university students mobilized as 60 Youth Engagement and Support (YES) groups.
TIB has succeeded in catalysing significant institutional, legal and policy changes in Bangladesh like the establishment and strengthening of the Anti-Corruption Commission; accession to the UNCAC and implementation of commitments made thereby; reform of the Public Service Commission, electoral rules and Election Commission; enactment of the Right to Information Law and Whistleblower Protection Act, adoption of the National Integrity Strategy, government decision to officially observe the international anti-corruption day; etc.
TIB’s civic engagement includes the application of social accountability tools like Citizens Report Card (CRC), Face the Public (FtP), Open Budget, Advice and Information Desks (AI-Desks), Citizens Charter, Public Hearing, Street Theatres and other cultural tools. By applying these in institutions in education, health, local government, land and climate finance, these have demonstrated that transformational changes are achievable in public service delivery institutions.
Iftekhar Zaman, PhD in Economics, is Executive Director of TIB. Before joining TIB in September 2004, he served as Executive Director of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation from 1999, Executive Director of Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo (1995-99) and Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (1982-95).
He was educated at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Academy of Economics, Warsaw, Poland. He worked as a post-doctoral fellow in International Relations Department of University of Tokyo (1988-89).
Dr. Zaman was elected to the International Board of Directors of TI in 2008, re-elected in 2012 and for the third term in 2015 and served until May 2017. He was the first individual from the developing South to be elected in 2002-3 as Chair of the International Committee of the Washington DC-based Council on Foundations.
He has been leading TIB’s research, advocacy and civic engagement programme for 15 years and has in the process led TIB’s work with UNCAC and the UNCAC Coalition. He has written and published widely in and outside Bangladesh.
In recognition of his leadership in promoting transparency and good governance, Dr. Zaman was awarded the first Global Partnership Forum for Social Accountability (GPSA) Award in May 2015.
Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Seat 1
Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) was created in 2004 and registered as a non-governmental, non-profit organisation under Nigerian Law. It focuses specifically on economic and social rights in Nigeria and on anti-corruption work, addressing all four areas where change is needed.
SERAP works to hold government and public officials at the local, state and federal levels accountable for acts of corruption which are conducive to violations of socio-economic rights of citizens. SERAP also aims to ensure Nigeria’s full compliance with the human rights and anti-corruption treaties to which it has voluntarily subscribed.
SERAP is dedicated to promoting transparency and accountability in the use of Nigeria’s natural resources and believes that Nigeria’s large natural resource base should be used to meet the basic needs of its population. SERAP is committed to increasing the legal protection for internationally recognised economic, social and cultural rights, and to securing respect for these rights.
Recognising the unexplored potential of international human rights law for increasing transparency, accountability and protection of economic and social rights in Nigeria, SERAP was created to promote these principles and values. The organisation aims to use human rights law to encourage the government and others to address developmental and human rights challenges such as corruption, poverty, inequality and discrimination.
Joke Fekumo is a lawyer and senior legal adviser with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Nigeria. She holds a Masters degree in law and has been a member of the Nigerian Bar Association since 2010. She joined the Coordination Committee as SERAP’s representative in January 2019, replacing Timothy Adewale who previously represented the organisation.
In 2017, Joke Fekumo, on behalf of SERAP, filed a widely covered case on so-called budget padding of the 2016 Nigerian budget. She argued the case and obtained judgment wherein the court ordered President Muhammadu Buhari to act on the outcome of the investigation of the case.
In 2018, she was part of a group of civil society representatives in Lagos state, Nigeria, who drafted a communiqué to create a more transparent and effective public procurement regime for the state.
She has considerable experience in the field of anti-corruption research and litigation, as well as on human rights issues, and feels very passionate about utilizing public resources to improve the welfare of citizens. She has been a speaker at various conferences and panels on issues relating to anti-corruption, transparency, accountability and socio-economic rights.
Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Seat 2
Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) has a vision of a Kenya and Africa in which citizens and civic organizations are vigilant over public life and actively watch over politics and the economy. Our mission is to build and entrench an anti-corruption culture and integrity in public life through informed and determined action in the public and private sectors. To do this we use research to inform our advocacy, promote the growth of investigative journalism, employ strategic litigation and build and backstop effective coalitions and partnerships at local and international levels.
AfriCOG has won significant cases with its partners, e.g. against attempts to curtail the power of the Auditor General. AfriCOG has attained prominence through its courageous and impactful research and advocacy governance, electoral management, accountability for political violence, resistance to the curtailment of civic space and for meaningful implementation of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, particularly its landmark provisions on leadership and integrity and accountable management of public resources. AfriCOG was a founding member of the Open Government Partnership international steering committee.
Gladwell OTIENO is the Executive Director of AfriCOG. She worked at TI in Berlin, then moved to South Africa to the Institute for Security Studies. She then joined TI-Kenya as its Executive Director, following the appointment of her predecessor, John Githongo, to the Office of the President as the governance and anti-corruption adviser. Unfortunately, as corruption reasserted its hold over the Kibaki government, John Githongo fled into exile and Gladwell was forced out of TI-Kenya. She then founded AfriCOG, chaired by John Githongo.
With her colleagues, Gladwell became a major target of government hostility as one of the leaders of a coalition called Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice, which militated for accountability for misgovernance, rigged elections and the mass violence that followed them in 2008 and led to the prosecution of the president and his deputy at the International Criminal Court.
Gladwell studied Political Science and French at University of Massachusetts Boston and the Free University, Berlin. She chairs the Board of the African Leadership Centre, Kings College, London, and is on the board of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
International Member Organisation Seat 1
ARTICLE 19, the Global Campaign for Free Expression and Information is a registered UK charity founded in 1987 with offices in Bangladesh, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Senegal, Tunisia and the USA. ARTICLE 19’s mission is “to promote, protect, develop and fulfil freedom of expression and the free flow of information and ideas in order to strengthen global social justice and empower people to make autonomous choices. Its vision is of a world where ALL people can speak freely, actively participate in public life and enjoy media freedom without fear, censorship or persecution.
ARTICLE 19 believes that freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information is a fundamental human right, central to individual freedoms and human rights. We also believe that freedom of expression is an empowerment or cornerstone right, in that it enables other rights to be protected and exercised. It allows people to demand the right to health, to a clean environment and to an effective implementation of poverty reduction strategies. It not only increases the knowledge base and participation within a society but can also secure external checks on state accountability, and thus prevent corruption that thrives on secrecy and closed environments.
David Banisar is Senior Legal Counsel for Article 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression in London. He leads the organisation’s efforts on transparency and access to information, focusing on the fields of development and environment. He has worked in the field of information policy for over 20 years and is the author of books, studies, and articles on freedom of information, freedom of expression, media policy, whistleblowing, communications security, and privacy. He has also served as an advisor and consultant to numerous organizations including the Council of Europe, World Bank, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the UN Development Programme and the Open Society Institute.
Previously he was Director of the FOI Project at Privacy International, and a co-founder and Policy Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, DC. He has been a Research Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and a Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Law, University of Leeds. He has a Juris Doctor in Law and Public Policy from The Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
International Member Organisation Seat 2
Transparency International gives voice to the victims and witnesses of corruption. We work together with governments, businesses and citizens to stop the abuse of power, bribery and secret deals. Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.
Through its International Secretariat in Berlin, Germany, and national chapters in over 100 countries around the world, Transparency International works at the national and international levels to create change towards a world free of corruption. The TI Secretariat focuses on the global and regional fight against corruption and assists national chapters in enhancing their anti-corruption skills. It coordinates initiatives within geographical regions and provides methodological support on the tools and techniques to fight corruption. It also serves as the driving force on international issues such as anti-corruption conventions, and other cross-border initiatives. It serves as a knowledge management centre, capturing and disseminating best practice and developing new approaches to tackle corruption.
Read more about TI’s mission, vision, values and guiding principles.
Gillian DELL studied law at the University of California-Berkeley and at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and has a BA degree from Oxford University. Prior to joining Transparency International (TI) in 1997, she worked as a lawyer in a New York law firm; as a research fellow on international trade law issues at the Freie Universität Berlin; as a consultant at the United Nations; and as a law lecturer and administrator at an American university study centre in Berlin. She has also worked with several human rights organisations. At TI she managed the TI International Conventions programme for almost 20 years, covering international anti-corruption instruments including the UN Convention against Corruption. In 2006, together with Kirstine Drew of UNICORN – the Trade Union Anti-Corruption Network, she co-convened the UNCAC Coalition (originally called the Coalition of Civil Society Friends of the UNCAC) and continued to serve as convenor up to the election of the first Coordination Committee in April 2011. From 2006 – 2018 she led the TI team that served as UNCAC Coalition secretariat, coordinating the Coalition’s submissions and activities at UNCAC meetings. She is the author of articles and opinion pieces on international trade, UNCAC and foreign bribery. From 2005 to 2013 and again in 2018 she co-authored TI’s progress report on OECD Convention enforcement, now called the Exporting Corruption Report.
Individual Member Seat
Juanita Olaya has been contributing to the work of the UNCAC Coalition as an active member since 2012 on issues of procurement, remedies and social damage arising from corruption, and strategy in general. In this capacity, she has attended the COSP and the IRG Debriefing in Vienna in 2015. She is a Colombian/German lawyer (Andes, 1990) with master degrees in Economics (Andes 1994) and Public Administration (Harvard, KSG 1998) and a PhD in International Public Economic Law (Bonn, 2010). Over 20 years of experience and a proven track record in the areas of good governance and anti-corruption across the world have made her a renowned expert in the field. Having worked with different national and international institutions, with the public sector, academia and civil society, among them Transparency International, Juanita launched her independent private practice in 2008, based in Berlin, Germany. In her practice, Juanita focuses on empirical research and expert advise and support on issues related to governance, human rights, anti-corruption and sustainability with partners in the public and private sector as well with civil society organisations. Juanita is also a Board member of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, and of TI-Germany and has been a council member at the World Economic Forum of the “Benchmarking Progress in Society’s Global Council. Juanita has published books, articles and contributions on topics of public administration, anti-corruption and good governance.