Fighting Corruption

It is both a driver and product of increasing conflict and instability. It undermines public accountability and fuels disillusionment with political freedoms. As a fundamental threat to the rule of law, development, and human security, corruption hollows out institutions, corrodes public trust, and fuels cynicism toward effective, accountable governance. It is the lifeblood of transnational criminal activity and prevents U.S. firms from competing fairly in overseas markets. It enables dictators to remain in power and, in the case of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, to wage a devastating war of aggression. It diverts public resources that could otherwise be invested in strengthening public health and education systems. Rooting out public corruption, and the illicit finance it enables and depends on, demands both proactive U.S. leadership and close international cooperation.

For all these reasons, President Biden has elevated the fight against corruption as a core national security priority. To address corruption and its harmful impact on our interests and priorities, the U.S. is pursuing a coordinated, whole of government anti-corruption strategy built around five pillars: (1) Modernizing, coordinating, and resourcing U.S. Government efforts to fight corruption; (2) Curbing illicit finance; (3) Holding corrupt actors accountable; (4) Preserving and strengthening the multilateral anti-corruption architecture; and (5) Improving diplomatic engagement and leveraging foreign assistance resources to advance policy goals.