Corruption consistently damages the security situation in Afghanistan and undermines the work of international forces there. The military is both part of the problem and the solution to corruption in Afghanistan. Transparency International's Defence and Security Programme (TI DSP) conducts pre- and post- deployment debriefs with members of the UK military before or after they go to Afghanistan.

Troops do a great deal of preparation before deployment to give them the knowledge that they need to work in a specific environment. TI DSP contributes by explaining the corruption risks they may face,  the potential impact of corrupt activities, and by giving recommendations for action to counter corruption.  

We emphasise that there are a wide range of contributors to corruption in Afghanistan, and a large part of it comes from the outside—from International forces operating there. The image below, which is shown during pre-deployment briefings, identifies which problems are caused, at least in part, by the international community.

We stress that corruption should be addressed as a relevant military, not only governance, issue: troops should plan for it, monitor its status, and report on it. It is part of the human terrain. Tackling corruption is not an impossible mission.

Our pre-deployment debriefs are based in large part on post-deployment debriefs [hyperlink] with returning UK troops.  We are working on a doctrine for operations [hyperlink] that will provide guidance for troops on countering corruption in their operations.

Read more on our Tools & Resources.

Read more on our Focus Areas.