The New Perspectives sessions are organised by the Knowledge Partners of the Forum. Each partner will present for 15 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of exchange with the audience.
The Devil's in the Data: Data Integration and Anti-Corruption ResearchOrganised by C4AdsCorruption leaves a trail. Whether incorporating a shell company, chartering a yacht, or suing a former business partner, the actions that enable grand corruption cannot avoid creating documentation for researchers, citizens, and authorities to follow up on. C4ADS follows this trail by bringing together disparate sources of data, such as vessel location reports, bills of lading, and corporate registration documents. Bringing data science to bear helps us make these data sources to "talk" to each other, and enables our analysts and partners to unearth significant findings, while enforcement partnerships open the door to global actions. The session will showcase this approach through a recent publication and collaborative investigative project that brought together civil society organizations, enforcement authorities, and journalists, demonstrating how data-driven methodologies can produce not only academic insight, but also actionable pathways for enforcement.
- Phil KITTOCK, Lead Analyst, C4ADS
- Sofia VARGAS, Analyst, C4ADS
National Oil Companies: New Database to Bolster GovernanceOrganised by Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play a massive role in the global oil and gas industry and the economies of many countries. Some of these companies have developed strong corporate governance and financial returns. Many, however, have struggled with performance and integrity. The OECD recommends “systematic benchmarking” as a key to good governance of SOEs, but a lack of cross-cutting data has traditionally made this difficult in the oil sector. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) will launch the largest free public database of national oil company financial, operational and performance data, covering more than 70 SOEs worldwide. The database will provide SOE executives, government officials, journalists and researchers with comparative information to facilitate benchmarking, goal-setting and reform efforts. Session attendees will have the opportunity to see the first-ever in-person presentation of the database and associated findings, which will dramatically reinforce public understanding of these complex giants.
- Patrick HELLER, Advisor, Natural Resource Governance Insitute
Turning Company Ownership Information Into AccountabilityOrganised by Transparency InternationalIn recent years, large-scale scandals such as the Panama Papers have clearly shown the direct relevance of data on the real owners of corporate vehicles and trusts – the ultimate beneficial owners –for the prevention, detection and sanctioning of corrupt activities. The call for beneficial ownership information to be public has become a fixture of the global anti-corruption agenda. As a first cohort of countries starts to make beneficial ownership data publicly available, this session will look at the next frontier: how to more effectively use this data for anti-corruption accountability. Transparency International will present findings of a new report, produced jointly with the Tax Justice Network, which looks in depth at issues of beneficial ownership data authentication and consistency, as well as real-life examples of corruption and money-laundering red flags which can be identified through the analysis of beneficial ownership data.
- Max HEYWOOD, Policy & Advocacy Manager, Transparency International
- Andres KNOBEL, Analyst, Tax Justice Network
