Anti-corruption’s cutting edge: New directions in beneficial ownership transparency

Beneficial ownership transparency is increasingly crucial for the fight against corruption and protecting and promoting democracy, as reflected in the commitments made by different nations during the December 2021 Summit for Democracy. Important questions include how to best ensure the accuracy of registries, and to what extent they should be accessible for key stakeholders. On 7 September 2022, the hybrid discussion will clarify the role of beneficial ownership transparency in fighting corruption and explore ways to advance Summit commitments on the topic.

Brookings Senior Fellow Norm Eisen will moderate a talk with Mária Kolíková, minister of justice of the Slovak Republic, who will speak to Slovakia’s experience as one of the first countries to implement a public beneficial ownership register, and Elizabeth Rosenberg, assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, who will offer reflections on the anti-corruption landscape, including beneficial ownership transparency.

Jonathan Katz, Senior Fellow and Director, Democracy Initiatives with the German Marshall Fund of the United States will moderate a panel discussion to highlight challenges and opportunities for beneficial ownership transparency reform globally. The panel will include:

• Zuzana Wienk, Director, Bystriny (Currents) and Civic Society Member, Open Government Partnership Steering Committee
• Thom Townsend, Executive Director, Open Ownership
• Andrej Leontiev, Partner, Taylor Wessing
• Maíra Martini, Research and Policy Expert, Corrupt Money Flows, Transparency International