In addition to electing a new board, a core function of the AMM, the TI movement also passed resolutions on four critical issues: the global financial crisis, the UK's record on combatting foreign bribery, the protection of civil society advocates and the weakening of anti-corruption initiatives in South Korea. You will find the text of all four resolutions below as well as the related press releases issued by TI.

• 2008 Annual Membership Meeting, resolutions, new board
• TI on financial crisis: a betrayal of public trust

TI recommendations on global financial crisis
TI deplores UK failure to enforce foreign bribery ban
TI calls for protection of anti-corruption advocates
TI criticises backsliding of South Korean government on anti-corruption commitment

The 2008 Annual Membership Meeting of Transparency International, particularly concerned about the humanitarian and broad economic impact of the consequences of the financial crisis, calls on global leaders to recognize clearly that this crisis is the result of an enormous mismanagement of funds entrusted by the public to financial institutions. This crisis, which started with the collapse of the sub prime mortgage market in the United States, is also a failure by public authorities to ensure the integrity and stability of the system and the safety and soundness of banking.

The Transparency International movement calls on leaders of the upcoming Group of 20 meeting on the crisis, to be held on 14-15 November in Washington D.C. USA, to ensure that transparency, integrity and public accountability become the foundation of the vital reforms needed to rebuild the world’s financial system. TI’s members emphasise the importance of the authorities engaging civil society in the process of reform.

Specifically, the Transparency International movement calls on the leaders of the G-20
to:

1) Regulation and supervision. Secure greater transparency and public
accountability in order to restore public trust and adopt a far more consistent and
internationally coordinated framework of regulation and supervision of all
financial institutions.

2) Rescue measures. Ensure effective safeguards with transparency and
accountability at the forefront, in all aspects of public management of taxpayers’
funds in support of efforts to restore the sound functioning of financial institutions
and markets.

3) Offshore havens. Halt evasion of all tax and financial regulations and the
facilitation of illicit activities through use of “offshore havens” and ensure that
these centres cooperate fully with other national and international authorities on
the exchange of information.

4) Governance. Build strong corporate governance, including board accountability,
with emphasis on executive compensation, risk management and disclosure of
financial products.

5) Conflicts of Interest. Take measures to prevent conflicts of interest in the
activities of credit rating agencies, auditing firms, and in relationships between
financial firms and the public sector.

6) Investigations and Sanctions. Pursue appropriate criminal investigations in
compliance with existing laws and regulations and impose strong sanctions
where corruption, insider trading and other abuses are found.

7) Aid. Take urgent action to address rising global poverty resulting from the current
crisis by increasing official development assistance, with particular emphasis on
those in greatest need and with the necessary accountability mechanisms.

We, the participants of the Transparency International Annual Members Meeting held in Athens, Greece on 28-29 October 2008, deplore the serial failure of the United Kingdom to comply with its international obligations under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

We note the severe criticism of the United Kingdom set out in the Report on the application of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (United Kingdom: Phase 2bis), approved and adopted by the Working Group on Bribery on 16 October 2008. We note that the United Kingdom has offered no valid excuse for its conduct nor any reason why it has failed repeatedly to meet promises and assurances it has made to the Working Group for the
past nine years.

The United Kingdom's conduct threatens the integrity of the Convention as one of the most important instruments to tackle and eliminate supply-side corruption. States in breach of their international obligations should be held to public account for so doing, and the United Kingdom is no exception.

We call upon the United Kingdom, given its past contributions to the international legal order, to act decisively to implement precisely the recommendations of the Working Group in its report, without delay. We also call upon other States Parties to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention to maintain pressure on the United Kingdom to do so.

The Annual Members Meeting (AMM) of Transparency International (TI) held in Athens during October 28-29, 2008, strongly condemns the growing hostile environment, including physical threats of insecurity and intimidation in which anti-corruption advocates in various parts of the world are operating. Concerned with the risks that the anti-corruption advocates are faced with, including death threats, the participants are determined to meet the challenge by taking all measures in their reach to protect corruption fighters at national and international level.

The meeting considers threats to the security of anti-corruption advocates as a violation of fundamental human rights. It calls upon all Governments to uphold their commitments under the UN human rights instruments, specifically under the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, to prevent such violations; and according to Article 13 of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to promote the participation of civil society in the prevention of, and fight against, corruption. Participants also call upon Governments to ensure that proper investigative and judicial measures are undertaken to bring the perpetrators of threats and attacks to justice.

The AMM commends the recent initiative by TI and the Coalition of Civil Society Friends of the UNCAC to strengthen the protection of anti-corruption advocates and emphasized the need for strong and prompt action. The delegates call upon all concerned stakeholders to actively support the development of tools, processes and institutional capacities to ensure that anti-corruption advocates can operate in a safe
environment, and response to threats and attacks against them can be made promptly and effectively.

We, participants of the Transparency International Annual Membership Meeting held in Athens, Greece on 28-29 October, 2008, are gravely concerned about the significant weakening of vital anti-corruption initiatives in South Korea.

We have witnessed how in many countries a lack of transparency, integrity and accountability easily becomes a key factor in the failure of a country’s sustainable development and weakens confidence by the international community. South Korea has developed many successful anti-corruption strategies and registered advances in recent years. The establishment of the Korea Independent Commission against Corruption (KICAC) in 2002, the launch of the Korean Pact for Anti-Corruption and Transparency (KPACT) in 2005 and the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in 2006, are outstanding models for the entire region. It is therefore with astonishment and deep concern that we now observe South Korea negating its policies and dismantling its own anti-corruption initiatives since the new government took office in February of 2008.

Accordingly, we recommend to the Korean Government, National Assembly, major business entities, and civil society the following priorities:

• Strengthening of anti-corruption initiatives: The Korean government should restore the national independent anti-corruption body, in compliance with Article 6 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which it ratified in February of 2008. The National Assembly should also prioritise anti-corruption legislation.
• Continuation of K-PACT: Signatories of the K-PACT 2005 -the public and private sectors along with civil society- should continue to implement its provisions and fight corruption.