Global Citizenship Report 2017

2 Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Costs of Corruption (February 2014), page 1, https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/140204_Hameed_CostsOfCorruption_Web.pdf. 3 U4 Brief, Reducing Bribery for Public Services Delivered to Citizens (October 2015), page 1, https://www.cmi.no/publications/file/5663-reducing-bribery-for-public-services-delivered-to.pdf . CASE STUDY Tech for Integrity Corruption is a global problem that plagues the private and public sectors, inflating the cost of doing business and taking unfair advantage of people around the world. According to a World Economic Forum survey, 67 out of 144 economies consider corruption to be one of the top three challenges to conducting business in their country. 2 The cost to individuals is great, and the world’s poor are often the hardest hit, with survey data indicating that 1.6 billion people annually have to pay a bribe to get public services. 3 Though technology is not the only answer, it can be a powerful force in addressing areas of corruption and providing systems that support and encourage integrity and transparency. In 2017, Citi launched the Citi Tech for Integrity Challenge (T4I), a collaboration among partners in the public and private sectors to encourage technology innovators from around the world to create cutting-edge solutions that promote integrity, accountability and transparency in the public sector and beyond. To kick off the challenge, Citi released the results of a crowdsourced survey of more than 150 individuals, spanning public, private and nongovernmental organizations around the world, to identify integrity pain points on which develop- ers should focus their efforts. Selected participants joined a virtual accelerator program, which provided mentoring, curriculum and infrastructure support to help them enhance their submissions. Challenge finalists then showcased their solutions at one of six Demo Days in cities around the world. Those chosen to receive awards have the opportunity to work with any business, organization or government interested in exploring innovative integrity tools. In addition to the awards presented at the Demo Days, T4I presented the James Wolfensohn Game Changer Award to AID:Tech for its solution to bring social and financial inclusion to the world’s undocumented and underserved populations using digital identity based on blockchain technology. These digital identities cut down on fraud and enable the efficient distribution of aid and other government benefits to communities. Initiatives such as T4I contribute directly to SDG 9 , which aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive sustain- able industrialization and foster innovation . In particular, target 9.5 includes a mandate to enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries and encourage innovation in particular in developing countries , which aligns with the objectives and outcomes of T4I. In addition to encouraging innovation, T4I seeks to use that innovation to bolster integrity, which also directly contributes to SDG 16 , promoting peaceful and inclusive societies which includes effective, accountable and inclusive institutions . Target 16.5 , which aims to substan- tially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms and target 16.6 , which encourages the development of effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels, are closely aligned with the outcomes of T4I. SDG SPOTLIGHT: GOAL 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure A machine-learning startup based in India that can provide analytics and visualization to address the challenges of financial crimes and lack of transparency A video reporting app that crowdsources information about infrastructure and public service issues in Mexico, to enhance government services and promote ethics and engagement A cashless solution for public transit in Nigeria that will improve the efficiency of government transactions and reduce the risks associated with the use of cash T4I participants targeted eight areas of government integrity: • Government Transactions • Culture, Ethics & Engagement • Information, Security & Identity • Procurement • Crisis Management & Aid • Paper, Cash & Manual • Analytics, Reporting & Transparency • Financial Crimes & Illicit Activities Finalists that exhibited at regional Demo Days included: 26