New World Bank Report Maps out Progress in Global Graft Fight

Global governance has not improved over the last decade but poor nations made significant achievements in the fight against corruption, a new World Bank report revealed. Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Belarus, Eritrea and Venezuela remain the weakest graft busters, according to the 2009 Worldwide Governance Indicators, which surveyed some 212 countries. "The good news is that some countries are recognizing and responding to governance challenges and are showing strong improvements that reflect concerted efforts by political leaders, policymakers, civil society and the private sector," the bank's lead economist Aart Kraay was quoted by

as saying.