G20 Anti-Corruption statement includes open data and public contracting principles

 From the G20 Leaders Communique, Turkey 15-16 November:

16.In support of our growth and resilience agenda, we remain committed to building a global culture of intolerance towards corruption through effectively implementing the 2015-2016 G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan. We endorse the G20 High-Level Principles on Integrity and Transparency in the Private Sector which will help our companies comply with global standards on ethics and anti-corruption. Ensuring the integrity and transparency of our public sectors is essential. In this regard, we endorse the G20 Anti-Corruption Open Data Principles and the G20 Principles for Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement, and we welcome the ongoing work on asset disclosure frameworks. We will further work to strengthen international cooperation, including where appropriate and consistent with domestic legal systems, on civil and administrative procedures, as an important tool to effectively combat bribery and to support asset recovery and the denial of safe haven to corrupt officials and those who corrupt them. We welcome the publication of our Implementation Plans on beneficial ownership transparency and will continue our efforts in this regard.

The Agreed Documents that accompany the Communique include

• G20 High-Level Principles on Private Sector Transparency and Integrity
• G20 Principles for Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement (no link)
• G20 Anti-Corruption Open Data Principles  

Civil society engagement in G20.. and OGP as well?

With the chair of the G20 coming our way in September, welcome news yesterday that the Government is establishing the Australian Civil Society 20 (C20) Steering Group:

The Australian Government is strongly committed to ensuring that G20 deliberations in Australia next year are fully informed by the expertise and knowledge of civil society....
This year, Rev Costello and the C20 Steering Group will be engaging with Australian civil society, working closely with their counterparts in the C20 during Russia’s presidency, and developing a process that will facilitate effective and productive engagement between civil society and G20 leaders in 2014. The C20 must be civil society-owned and civil society-led...

The Group of 13 from across the CSO spectrum will be chaired by Tim Costello and includes Greg Thompson of Transparency International Australia.

In the light of this initiative, more than interesting to see what emerges as government seeks to engage civil society in development of Australia's National Action Plan, required in connection with our application to join the Open Government Partnership. The C20 initiative is recognition that more than consultation as per usual is required to fully realise the benefits of partnership and engagement in these endeavours.