Corruption and illicit financial flows are major obstacles to tackling national and international development challenges such as the fight against climate change or the pursuit of sustainable peace and security. Corruption inhibits inclusive growth and jobs, and damages the fabric of society by reducing trust and denying citizens’ access to essential services – for example, by inflating the price of pharmaceuticals beyond the reach of new mothers and infants or reducing crop prices for independent farmers.
This information note was commissioned in 2019 by the House of Commons’ International Development Committee (IDC) for its inquiry into Sustainable Development Goal 16. It describes the UK aid programme’s current approach, and proposes lines of enquiry for potential future investigation by the committee, ICAI or other interested stakeholders.
