Global Anti-Corruption Efforts in Crisis as US Weakens Key Safeguards
In a stark revelation, Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index has exposed a worrying global trend of backsliding in anti-corruption measures, with democratic institutions eroding due to political donations, cash-for-access schemes, and state targeting of activists and journalists. The report, which ranks 182 countries, highlights more than a decade of stagnation, with most nations making little or no progress against public-sector corruption. Notably, the United Kingdom has slid to its lowest score since 2012, signaling a broader decline in integrity standards.
US Role in Undermining Global Anti-Corruption Norms
For decades, the United States has served as a cornerstone of global anti-corruption efforts, leveraging its economic might and influence to enforce laws on money laundering, sanctions, corporate transparency, and foreign bribery. However, under the administration of Donald Trump, this role has been critically compromised. Decisions across legal, diplomatic, and financial domains have weakened safeguards that took years to build, raising alarms about the politicization of enforcement tools.
Selective enforcement has become a central concern, with sanctions and anti-bribery laws allegedly used as political leverage—applied harshly to adversaries while relaxed for allies. This approach has drawn criticism from UN experts and humanitarian agencies, who argue that such measures often devastate civilian economies, deepen poverty, and restrict access to essential services like medicine and finance. In these contexts, corruption does not vanish but mutates, thriving in environments of scarcity and discretionary power.
Attacks on International Accountability Mechanisms
Further exacerbating the crisis, the Trump administration has launched attacks on international accountability mechanisms. Judges and prosecutors associated with the International Criminal Court have faced threats, sanctions, or vilification, including figures such as Second Vice-President Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini Gansou from Benin and Prosecutor Karim AA Khan KC. Additionally, UN mandate-holders like Francesca Albanese, the special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, have been targeted for investigations that challenge powerful state interests.
In a particularly alarming move, the US imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro. This action sets a dangerous precedent by using state power to intimidate those upholding international law, blurring the lines between public authority and private interest.
The Evolving Nature of Corruption
Corruption today is no longer confined to traditional forms like envelopes of cash. It has evolved into a structural threat centered on power dynamics—determining who is shielded, who is sacrificed, and who acts with impunity. When beneficial ownership rules are delayed, foreign bribery enforcement is weakened, or residency schemes like "golden visas" are sold without robust safeguards, the signal to global markets is clear: illicit wealth can adapt quickly, seeking permissive jurisdictions and political cover.
Concerns have also been raised about opaque relationships between political power, private interests, and foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel. Allegations that the Epstein files may have been used to exert influence over politicians underscore the risks when transparency is lacking and accountability is weak, eroding public trust and making systems vulnerable to blackmail or coercion.
Call for Distributed Global Leadership
With Washington unable to act as a credible steward of global anti-corruption norms, leadership must become distributed. Several actors are well-positioned to step forward:
- The European Union, with its regulatory reach and market size, can enforce transparency standards extraterritorially if applied consistently, including to its own financial centers.
- Canada and Nordic countries, known for their commitments to transparency and independent judiciaries, offer moral and institutional credibility.
- Coalitions from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, regions historically impacted by extractive corruption, have a powerful stake in reshaping the agenda toward development-centered anti-corruption rather than punitive measures.
International institutions and civil society organizations, such as Transparency International, UN special rapporteurs, journalists, and independent prosecutors, must hold the line when states falter. What is needed is not a new hegemon but a normative coalition that insists anti-corruption law serves the public good, not geopolitical convenience, and that enforcement is impartial and transparent.
The Urgent Need for Collective Action
The world has reached a critical juncture where waiting for Trump to exit is not an option. Under his administration, the US has weakened core anti-corruption safeguards, politicized sanctions and enforcement, attacked judges and watchdogs, and blurred the line between public authority and private interest. The credibility of the global anti-corruption project now depends on whether others are willing to lead collectively, consistently, and with the courage to apply rules even when powerful actors object. When the center abdicates responsibility, the margins must become the guardians of integrity to prevent deepening inequality, instability, and mistrust.
