Policy Research to Demonstrate the Personal Impact of Illicit Financial Flows

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Finland is financing policy research to demonstrate the personal impact of illicit financial flows (IFF) to Global Financial Integrity (GFI). The study consists of four elements: (i) Update on the analysis of illicit financial flows out of developing countries; (ii) an IFF Index ranking developing countries based on the impact of IFF on the economy of the country; (iii) a focused analysis of Myanmar; (iv) a focused analysis of Sambia. Participating Finland's partner countries have been selected on the basis of their different characteristics (fragile state vs. country rich with natural resources, subject to trade misinvoicing). The results of the research elements will lay the evidentiary foundation for ongoing work with Governments and civil society ortganisations. Since the reports will put a spotlight on the individual impacts of IFFs they will increase media and Government focus on the problem. The growing interes in IFF and their impact on domestic resource mobilization and the Post-2015 process, the reports will be a timely addition to the current discourse. The research will start in 2014 and results will be published in 2016. The value of GFI services and related publishing of results is 500,000 € during the two-year period. GFI is an independent organisation that has built its brand by producing ground-breaking economic studies on illicit financial flows and advocating specific policy steps for their curtailment.