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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/may/12/david-cameron-london-anti-corruption-summit-live
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| David Cameron opens London summit describing corruption as 'a cancer' – live | David Cameron opens London summit describing corruption as 'a cancer' – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.35pm BST | |
| 12:35 | |
| The Guardian’s Juliette Garside, one of the team on the Panama Papers, says pressure is building on British Virgin Islands over its stance on sharing beneficial owner information. | |
| Cayman, Jersey and Bermuda signed up to sharing beneficial owner information, and Guernsey in due course - that leaves BVI isolated | |
| 12.31pm BST | |
| 12:31 | |
| Chris Holmes, the paralympic swimmer, says there must be more athlete-centred governance in sport, which will help to avert corruption. | |
| Whether it’s grassroots, through to governance, the changing room to the board room, athletes have to be at the centre of sport. Every decision needs to pass that test, is it athletes at the heart of that decision? | |
| I believe we have one simple question for every sporting body to ask itself, every second of every day, will this make a better experience for the athlete? | |
| Will it enable them to fulfil their potential? If it won’t, why are we doing it? | |
| 12.19pm BST | |
| 12:19 | |
| Sport's 'self-governance is not an excuse for bad governance' | |
| The OECD’s Angel Gurria says sport being autonomous of government interference is no reason for corruption. | |
| Self-governance is not an excuse for bad governance. We cannot have that as an excuse, because it affects public morale, credibility and the problem of trust that we are having. | |
| 12.15pm BST | |
| 12:15 | |
| This from the Guardian’s David Pegg on the reticence of the British Virgin Islands to sign up to the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership. | |
| Cayman Islands signing up to automatic exchange of beneficial ownership is significant in one key respect - BVI is now effectively isolated… | |
| @davidtpegg … in holding out against transparency. A Cayman/BVI alliance led the OTs resistance to more transparency. BVI now on its own. | |
| 12.13pm BST | |
| 12:13 | |
| Pâquerette Girard Zappelli, ethics director at the IOC said the committee had learnt a lot from the corruption scandal at Salt Lake City in 2002 and is now very proud of its ethics procedures. | |
| We are pushing all the other sports organisations, including Fifa, to achieve a similar level of good governance. It’s something that is very strong. | |
| However, she hasn’t yet addressed the alleged seven-figure payment from the Tokyo Olympic bid team to an account linked to the son of the disgraced former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, apparently made during Japan’s successful race to host the 2020 Games. | |
| The suggestion that votes could have been were bought is hugely embarrassing for the IOC, which sets great store by its ethics processes following the 2002 Winter Games. | |
| 12.08pm BST | |
| 12:08 | |
| The panel on sport and corruption is starting now with Sierra Leone’s Isha Johansen, the only female president of a football association in Africa, and only one of two on the Fifa board. | |
| I have a mission and a vision, to force good governance into football. Because I believe it can help with the growth and prosperity of that nation. | |
| Corruption is a deadly killer disease. Having lived in Sierra Leone through the ebola crisis, I know the destruction a disease can cause in a society, it can rip through it, it can kill a society. | |
| 12.04pm BST | 12.04pm BST |
| 12:04 | 12:04 |
| British Virgin Islands expresses concerns about beneficial ownership register | British Virgin Islands expresses concerns about beneficial ownership register |
| The British Virgin Islands’ premier and minster of finance D Orlando Smith has said his country needs more guarantees that there would be appropriate levels of privacy before it could sign up to implementing a standard on beneficial ownership information exchange. The territory is not signed up to the register announced today by Cameron, and Smith said the nation had not been invited to the summit. | The British Virgin Islands’ premier and minster of finance D Orlando Smith has said his country needs more guarantees that there would be appropriate levels of privacy before it could sign up to implementing a standard on beneficial ownership information exchange. The territory is not signed up to the register announced today by Cameron, and Smith said the nation had not been invited to the summit. |
| In a statement, Smith said he supported a new globally applied information exchange regime on beneficial ownership, as long as it was “equal and even in its application across the board.” | In a statement, Smith said he supported a new globally applied information exchange regime on beneficial ownership, as long as it was “equal and even in its application across the board.” |
| The government needed time to assess the impact the register would have on it’s economy, he said. | The government needed time to assess the impact the register would have on it’s economy, he said. |
| We believe that achieving this goal requires further details and discussions about how it would apply in practice and be effectively implemented consistently and globally, together with time to assess its impact on the BVI economy in the short and longer term. | We believe that achieving this goal requires further details and discussions about how it would apply in practice and be effectively implemented consistently and globally, together with time to assess its impact on the BVI economy in the short and longer term. |
| We would expect to participate in discussions by international standard setters as the proposed standard is developed and we commit to implement the standard once it is agreed and adopted by all UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies, G20 and OECD Member States.” | We would expect to participate in discussions by international standard setters as the proposed standard is developed and we commit to implement the standard once it is agreed and adopted by all UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies, G20 and OECD Member States.” |
| He said there was a real issue with data security and once information was available to a variety of actors, “the risk of a breach goes up immeasurably.” | He said there was a real issue with data security and once information was available to a variety of actors, “the risk of a breach goes up immeasurably.” |
| If legitimate businesses fear that their international transactions will be exposed to the world, or, worse yet, accessed by criminals or terrorists and used as a weapon of extortion or intimidation, then the gears of international finance will start to grind more slowly. | If legitimate businesses fear that their international transactions will be exposed to the world, or, worse yet, accessed by criminals or terrorists and used as a weapon of extortion or intimidation, then the gears of international finance will start to grind more slowly. |
| Governments and law enforcement agencies have “legitimate reasons for seeking access to otherwise confidential business information and, therefore, must be subject to appropriate safeguards,” he added. | Governments and law enforcement agencies have “legitimate reasons for seeking access to otherwise confidential business information and, therefore, must be subject to appropriate safeguards,” he added. |
| 11.55am BST | 11.55am BST |
| 11:55 | 11:55 |
| While we wait for the next session to start, this is the take of Neill Blundell, head of the fraud and investigations group at corporate law firm Eversheds, on the criminal offence of ‘failure to prevent economic crime’ which has been proposed by Cameron as a way of tackling money laundering and corporate enabling. | While we wait for the next session to start, this is the take of Neill Blundell, head of the fraud and investigations group at corporate law firm Eversheds, on the criminal offence of ‘failure to prevent economic crime’ which has been proposed by Cameron as a way of tackling money laundering and corporate enabling. |
| It will be a massive game changer for prosecutors like the UK Serious Fraud Office as it will make it far easier to prosecute corporate wrong-doing. There will be some worried business executives out there today and some hopeful prosecutors. | It will be a massive game changer for prosecutors like the UK Serious Fraud Office as it will make it far easier to prosecute corporate wrong-doing. There will be some worried business executives out there today and some hopeful prosecutors. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.56am BST | at 11.56am BST |
| 11.45am BST | 11.45am BST |
| 11:45 | 11:45 |
| The next session is on sport and corruption, chaired by Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee. It’s one of the sessions which has caused the most controversy, with Fifa not invited. | The next session is on sport and corruption, chaired by Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee. It’s one of the sessions which has caused the most controversy, with Fifa not invited. |
| On the panel are: | On the panel are: |
| 11.36am BST | 11.36am BST |
| 11:36 | 11:36 |
| Cayman Islands accuses larger states of 'hypocrisy' | Cayman Islands accuses larger states of 'hypocrisy' |
| Cayman Islands premier Alden McLaughlin is spekaing now, he says his country has “proven our commitment to the global fight against corruption” and that his presence at the summit is a show of good will. | Cayman Islands premier Alden McLaughlin is spekaing now, he says his country has “proven our commitment to the global fight against corruption” and that his presence at the summit is a show of good will. |
| He insists his country has played “a leadership role” in the fight against corruption for 20 years, and meets the standards for the OECD anti-bribery convention and the UN convention against corruption. | He insists his country has played “a leadership role” in the fight against corruption for 20 years, and meets the standards for the OECD anti-bribery convention and the UN convention against corruption. |
| Our credentials can not be seriously challenged. I believe we have earned our seat at table to be part of the development of any new global standards. | Our credentials can not be seriously challenged. I believe we have earned our seat at table to be part of the development of any new global standards. |
| Like Alan Bell, he echoes how he believes small jurisdictions have been targeted by bigger states. | Like Alan Bell, he echoes how he believes small jurisdictions have been targeted by bigger states. |
| Cayman Islands rep tells corruption summit if major countries excluded from transparency the result will be continued failure. | Cayman Islands rep tells corruption summit if major countries excluded from transparency the result will be continued failure. |
| He says countries with real political clout have to tackle their own systems, not just those in other small territories. “It is time to put behind us shades of hypocrisy,” he says. | He says countries with real political clout have to tackle their own systems, not just those in other small territories. “It is time to put behind us shades of hypocrisy,” he says. |
| There is little point in us continuing the rhetoric if we are to allow major countries to stay outside the global standard. | There is little point in us continuing the rhetoric if we are to allow major countries to stay outside the global standard. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.36am BST | at 11.36am BST |
| 11.26am BST | 11.26am BST |
| 11:26 | 11:26 |
| Some insight from the Attorney General Jeremy Wright today on how a criminal offence of “failure to prevent” economic crimes such as fraud and money laundering might work. This was something mooted in the prime minister’s Guardian piece today. | Some insight from the Attorney General Jeremy Wright today on how a criminal offence of “failure to prevent” economic crimes such as fraud and money laundering might work. This was something mooted in the prime minister’s Guardian piece today. |
| Under existing law, a company only faces criminal liability if prosecutors can prove a sufficiently senior person knew about the criminal conduct. It can be extremely hard to prove this, especially in large companies with complex management structures. | Under existing law, a company only faces criminal liability if prosecutors can prove a sufficiently senior person knew about the criminal conduct. It can be extremely hard to prove this, especially in large companies with complex management structures. |
| A new offence could find companies responsible where they haven’t adequately prevented economic crime. | A new offence could find companies responsible where they haven’t adequately prevented economic crime. |
| The failure to prevent offence would help prosecutors hold companies to account for criminal conduct at all levels of a business and show the public that organisations are not above the law. | The failure to prevent offence would help prosecutors hold companies to account for criminal conduct at all levels of a business and show the public that organisations are not above the law. |
| 11.18am BST | 11.18am BST |
| 11:18 | 11:18 |
| US must sign up to transparency, says Isle of Man chief minsiter | |
| Alan Bell, the chief minister of the Isle of Man, says the US has to take more responsibility, not just blame small overseas tax havens. There won’t be real progress, he says, “unless the United States joins in this international agreement” and makes its own tax havens, such as Delaware, more open. | |
| It is all very well to pick on small jurisdictions, unless the US joins this international agreement, unless the US does more and gives confidence to other jurisdictions, it was heartening to hear John Kerry this morning, well, we need action not just fine words. | It is all very well to pick on small jurisdictions, unless the US joins this international agreement, unless the US does more and gives confidence to other jurisdictions, it was heartening to hear John Kerry this morning, well, we need action not just fine words. |
| The Isle of Man, a crown dependency, was one of the ‘tax havens’ named in the Panama Papers but its government insists it already has robust systems in place to combat money laundering and illicit activity. | The Isle of Man, a crown dependency, was one of the ‘tax havens’ named in the Panama Papers but its government insists it already has robust systems in place to combat money laundering and illicit activity. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.25pm BST | |
| 11.15am BST | 11.15am BST |
| 11:15 | 11:15 |
| The Guardian’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour says that a free press is vital to tackling corruption, citing the Panama Papers revealed by the Guardian and others. He calls for the protection of whistleblowers who expose corruption. | The Guardian’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour says that a free press is vital to tackling corruption, citing the Panama Papers revealed by the Guardian and others. He calls for the protection of whistleblowers who expose corruption. |
| He also says the government’s promise for a register of beneficial ownership in the UK does not go far enough, and says the government should set a timetable of two or three years for overseas territories to make public registers of ownership. | He also says the government’s promise for a register of beneficial ownership in the UK does not go far enough, and says the government should set a timetable of two or three years for overseas territories to make public registers of ownership. |
| .@patrickwintour says a free press is vital in fighting #anticorruption + whistleblowers must be protected | .@patrickwintour says a free press is vital in fighting #anticorruption + whistleblowers must be protected |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.15am BST | at 11.15am BST |
| 11.06am BST | 11.06am BST |
| 11:06 | 11:06 |
| Netherlands joins Cameron to commit to register of beneficial ownership | Netherlands joins Cameron to commit to register of beneficial ownership |
| Applause for the Netherlands’ justice minister, Ard van der Steur, he says his country will also commit to a register of beneficial ownership and calls for others to follow. | Applause for the Netherlands’ justice minister, Ard van der Steur, he says his country will also commit to a register of beneficial ownership and calls for others to follow. |
| We do need to have a world-wide system, we need to do it together. If we want to be serious, we need to have such a register everywhere. | We do need to have a world-wide system, we need to do it together. If we want to be serious, we need to have such a register everywhere. |
| That’s welcomed by former minister Eric Pickles | That’s welcomed by former minister Eric Pickles |
| Netherlands just announced that they will commit to a public register of beneficial ownership at #anticorruption summit | Netherlands just announced that they will commit to a public register of beneficial ownership at #anticorruption summit |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.09am BST | at 11.09am BST |
| 11.03am BST | 11.03am BST |
| 11:03 | 11:03 |
| Ukraine’s Daria Kaleniuk has been a key advocate for anti-corruption and transparency in the country, post-Viktor Yanukovych’s presidency. | Ukraine’s Daria Kaleniuk has been a key advocate for anti-corruption and transparency in the country, post-Viktor Yanukovych’s presidency. |
| Transparency is very important but it’s not enough, we have to have asset recovery. We have to prosecute. We hope the next step is joint-international criminal investigative teams. | Transparency is very important but it’s not enough, we have to have asset recovery. We have to prosecute. We hope the next step is joint-international criminal investigative teams. |