In this blog post for Space for Transparency, our director Mark Pyman asserts that  corruption in the defence and security sectors can be addressed and mitigated. Our Handbook for these sectors' officials,'Building Integrity and Reducing Corruption in Defence and Security: 20 Practical Reforms', which we have now translated into Spanish, is one of the tools that can now also guide Latin American governments’ efforts towards anti-corruption reform. (We have also written this blog in Spanish.)

Citizens who have been victims or witnesses of corruption are realising that the ability to take action is in their hands. They also understand that this fight is not only for their sake, but also on behalf of all the people who are hurt by corruption around the world every day.

Taking part in the solution to corruption is not an easy task. Resisting paying a bribe or reporting corrupt behaviour often means swimming against the tide. Only 30 or so countries have legal doctrines in place to encourage such disclosures and protect those who blow the whistle from retribution and retaliation. This is why Transparency International provides mechanisms to support, protect and motivate action against corruption, such as whistleblower protection and civilian oversight, are so important. When those are in place and enforced, no one needs to remain silent to corruption or have to confront it alone.

Nowhere is this more important than in the defence and security sectors. Such critical areas, though, are often the least accessible for people wanting to see proper accountability. Defence and security establishments have a historical legacy of being closed and unwelcoming to transparency, as national security concerns are often abused and become a veil to hide corrupt activities. For example, Costa Rica, a nation which abolished its armed forces in 1948, was the only Latin American country that achieved high defence budget transparency standards in our report on the topic. Whilst five other countries received moderate to high scores, the remaining 10 Latin American countries analysed ranked moderate or below.

The preconception of defence and security corruption as a dangerous and inaccessible area is beginning to give way to the idea that these issues can be actually tackled. Over the years our team has witnessed that often the people who most want to see positive change are in the military and the police themselves. We repeatedly come across senior military and police officers who are trying hard to make their organisations more transparent, more accountable, and more trusted by the public.

Our Handbook for defence and security officials,“Building Integrity and Reducing Corruption in Defence and Security: 20 Practical Reforms” describes our approach and recommendations to bring about this change. Our team has witnessed just how many nations have been keen to address defence and security corruption risks and now have successful stories to tell– from countries with strong mechanisms in place to prevent and tackle corruption, through those with serious corruption issues, to those in the worst of conflict environments where corruption is rampant.

Our new Spanish version of the Handbook is one of the tools that can now also guide Latin American governments’ efforts. Today, with Latin American citizens calling for stronger national security strategies and institutions, we hope this Handbook becomes a catalyst for change.                Read more.

Read the full blog 'Addressing defence and security corruption is in everybody’s hands' at Space for Transparency.

Read the Spanish version of this blog: 'Abordar la corrupción en defensa y seguridad está en mano de todos'

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Read other blogs we've written.