The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have relaunched their 2009 Factbook and features a new interactive maps and graphs publication – ‘Factbook eXplorer’. The feature "combines maps and graphs with stories allowing users to examine time developments and interrelations between indicators." Statistically informative, the eXplorer allows users to generate their own stories, upload data and view information with animated graphs.

The International Aid Transparency Initiative website is now live. The website can be found at www.aidtransparency.net complete with their latest newsletters and information on the initiative’s progress.

The Government of Spain have launched a Spanish language website dedicated to their aid effectiveness . The ‘Ayuda Eficaz’ website aims to facilitate the interaction and access of up-to-date aid information on Spain’s official global development assistance and concentrates on widening their international co-operation processes.

Access the website here

The Emerging Market Disclosure Project released a report on the levels of disclosure by emerging market companies around the world. The survey assessed the current levels of responsible investment and activity in emerging markets and asked about a range issues related to environmental, social and governance factors.
The analysis showed that the lack of disclosure and transparency by emerging market companies ‘threatens to undermine investor confidence and could potentially reduce investment allocations to emerging markets’.

Global Task Force released a report detailing a new system to improve transparency in multinational corporations. Termed ‘country-by-country reporting’ the new system aims to disclose full details of multinational corporation’s commercial transactions and ensure ‘fair business practice’.

Publish What You Fund has sent its submission to the World Bank’s Consultation on its Approach Paper on Disclosure. The brief submission, sent on Friday 5th June, welcomes the ‘paradigm shift’ which has seen a greater emphasis on the transparency of aid but makes a further case for aid transparency. Publish What You Fund responded to the World Bank’s Disclosure Paper by encouraging the World Bank to join the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) and to review its exemptions policy.

The full text of the submission can be viewed at: