Giant dollar bills glide through Rio skies to spotlight corruption as world leaders gather for G20 summit
Transparency International urges G20 to deliver financial integrity reforms
18 November 2024, Rio de Janeiro – As G20 member and guest countries’ heads of state and government gather in Rio de Janeiro for this week’s Leaders’ Summit, Transparency International fills the city’s sky with money to call attention to the group’s failure to address issues of corruption. Six paragliders with canopies customised with US$100-bill designs flew over Rio, ending their flight on a public beach in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood. They touched down on a banner which read: “How obvious should corruption be before it’s a G20 priority?”
The action, intended to make the problem of corruption impossible to ignore at this year’s Leaders’ Summit, follows Transparency International’s years-long advocacy for the G20 to take serious action on corruption and, in particular, loopholes that enable cross-border corruption among the group’s members. This year, Transparency International has continuously urged the G20 to commit to a series of financial integrity measures geared toward advancing sustainable development and reducing inequalities, which are the stated priorities for Brazil’s G20 Presidency.
Maíra Martini, Head of Policy & Advocacy at Transparency International, said: “For years, anti-corruption has been treated as a low-priority issue and left to the margins of the G20 discussions. The result is that we have not seen any meaningful action from the G20 on cross-border corruption in a decade. The G20 is a leader-driven process; so we want their attention and political commitment to take this problem seriously. Unless this happens, the G20 really cannot claim they are working to solve global problems.”
As a gathering that brings together the leaders of the world’s most influential financial centres, the G20 has a crucial role and responsibility to clamp down on dirty money. Many G20 countries have themselves perpetuated illicit financial flows, which undermine sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries. For example, the United Kingdom and the United States feature among the top five jurisdictions in Transparency International’s recent review of cases in which professionals operating in the non-financial sector have facilitated illicit financial flows out of Africa. Despite this, recent years have seen the G20 produce only unambitious commitments – including at last month’s G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial – and deliver little action.
Last week, Transparency International’s representatives from across the G20 issued an open letter calling on leaders to salvage the anti-corruption agenda during the Rio Summit.
To spotlight this critical issue and get the leaders’ attention, Transparency International collaborated with an award-winning advertising agency, INNOCEAN Berlin. The creative team designed and manufactured custom canopies and enlisted a team of professional pilots who set the flight trajectory.
Ahead of the Summit, the campaign has released a video documenting the action. Additionally, Transparency International urges people around the world to engage with the cause through the hashtag #G20TakeAction.
Transparency International’s campaign seeks to establish anti-corruption as a core issue for the G20 agenda going forward. The G20 has one last chance this year to rescue anti-corruption commitments at the Leader’s Summit in Rio, and should do so by pledging strong action in the declaration that leaders are expected to adopt. Immediately after, South Africa’s incoming G20 Presidency should consider designating anti-corruption among its priorities.
For any media enquiries, please contact
Transparency International
press@transparency.org
transparency@berlinrosen.com
INNOCEAN Berlin
olivia@persuasioncomms.com
a.moskalenko@innocean.eu
