As part of a special issue on transparency, Drum Beat introduces the Publish What You Fund campaign and explains why its aims are so important: lack of aid transparency leads to inefficiency and risks of heightened corruption.
On 14 December 2008, leading experts from around the world meeting at a conference co-organized by Access Info Europe adopted the Budapest Declaration which calls for the right of access to information to apply to all States at all levels of government, to intergovernmental organizations, and also to other bodies undertaking public functions.
Meeting in Paris on 26 November 2008, the Steering Committee of the International Aid Transparency Initiative, which includes Publish What You Fund represented by Director Karin Christiansen, agreed a plan of activities for advancing standard-setting on aid transparency.
Douglas Alexander delivered a speech on the need for greater transparency in international aid. He highlighted the International Aid Transparency Initiative, launched by the UK in Accra in September with the support of 13 major donors. Publish What You Fund is noted as a key supporter of this initiative. Mr Alexander draws attention to several of the successes of the Accra meeting.
The Director of Publish What You Fund, Karin Christiansen, is interviewed in this issue, in a Special Collection on "Perspectives after Accra". Christiansen emphasises the challenges of aid effectiveness and the vital role transparency plays in creating ownership by aid recipients, and for accountability by both partners. She also discusses the role of civil society organisations in enhancing transparency.
The UN news agency IRIN ran an article focusing on Publish What You Fund. Karin Christiansen, the Director, noted that Ugandan officials reported only knowing about half the aid projects underway in their country in 2006: the fear of acknowledging failure prevents donors from being more transparent. However, Christiansen suggests there is strong cause for optimism with signs of a shift of culture in the sector.
