Corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain. The World Bank estimates that one trillion dollars is paid in illegal bribes annually, and about $40 billion is looted each year by corrupt officials. Corruption follows opportunity and is both local and global. Corruption hurts people, disrupts communities and societies, and has great personal and economic costs. Corruption includes bribery, misappropriation, extortion, patronage, self-dealing (hiring one’s friends or one’s own companies to provide funded services), job manipulation and state capture.
A number of institutions at both the global and national level either directly address corrupt practices, or anti-corruption measures otherwise form a signficant part of their raison d’être.
International
- United Nations
- UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- UN Convention Against Corruption
- Transparency International
- Interpol
National
- Australian Capital Territory Integrity Commission
- Australian Capital Territory Ombudsman
- Commonwealth Ombudsman
- National Anti-Corruption Commission
- New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption
- Northern Territory Ombudsman
- Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission
- Queensland Ombudsman
- South Australia Independent Commission Against Corruption
- South Australia Ombudsman
- Tasmania Integrity Commission
- Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission
- Victorian Ombudsman
- Western Australia Corruption and Crime Commission