Reforms to transform auditor-regulator relations

Proposals may suggest structured relationship between auditor and regulator

Auditors may revive their open dialogue with regulators and even work for them while conducting their audits, as part of new proposals expected to be released this week.

The proposals will reopen dialogue between regulators and may lead to the expansion of so called Section 166 reports, used by regulators to seek information on a potential problem area in accounts.

See full Article.

PCAOB survives US Supreme Court decision

US audit watchdog remains intact after constitutional challenge

The US audit watchdog has survived a court challenge which threatened to overturn the regulator landmark US legislation born out of the Enron scandal.

Under the ruling, handed down by the US Supreme Court yesterday, the audit industry regulator, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), will continue to operate, however its board members will be removable by the US securities regulator “at will” rather than for “good cause”.

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Climate change conference in Dublin today

Today’s EPA conference will look at how socio-economic transformation is needed, as well as showcasing Irish research projects.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today hosting a conference on climate change at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

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Germany cars: BMW’s green conundrum

BMW is famous for its high-performance cars, but it has done a creditable job in cutting emissions. How much further can it go?

BMW has been the most active of the premium German carmakers to date when it comes to reducing its impact on the environment. It has a comprehensive hybrid strategy, is at the forefront of electric vehicle development and has already managed to make some impressive emission reductions without compromising the performance of its cars. The dilemma for it now is how to stay ahead of rivals and remain a relatively small independent carmaker. Are the two mutually compatible?

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Government prepares 2050 low-carbon master plan

Report will detail how the UK must electrify national infrastructure to meet 80 per cent carbon targets

The government is putting the finishing touches to a major report detailing a range of proposals for the UK to achieve its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80 per cent on 1990 levels by mid-century.

Energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne confirmed yesterday that the report, entitled 2050 Pathways, will be released next month alongside the coalition's first annual statement to the House of Commons on energy policy.

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IASB propose new financial instruments disclosure requirements

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has proposed further amendments to its financial instruments proposals.

The board has been attempting to improve disclosure on often difficult-to-measure “level three” assets. Level one and two assets can be valued using observable market inputs.

Level three assets, however, do not contain observable inputs and have to be measured according to a constructed model.

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World alternatives: Solar survival

The world market for photovoltaics (PV) solar power systems is coming out of a slowdown, the result both of the economic downturn and fierce competition, and is forecast to resume rising at an even faster clip than before. But a capacity glut as competition intensifies will result in an industry shake-out.

The solar power industry has come to something of an intersection. After a slowdown over the past year or so, demand for solar PV systems is expected to get back onto a fast-growth track. But at the same time, competition in the sector is intensifying and already there are signs that the industry is consolidating, with companies looking for mergers and acquisitions that will bring them into new market segments, give them access to cheaper production facilities and give them exposure to emerging technologies.

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FSA audit report: Regulator seeks power to disqualify audit firms

Bold new powers sought by financial regulator

The UK’s chief financial regulator is seeking bold new powers to fine, censure or disqualify audit firms.

A discussion paper released today proposes greater punitive measures for the Financial Services Authority (FSA) following a scathing report which questions auditor's independence in the lead up to the crisis.

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Las empresas dirigidas por mujeres tienen mejores resultados económicos

Las empresas que promocionan a las mujeres a puestos directivos de responsabilidad obtienen mejores resultados económicos. A esa conclusión llega un estudio llevado a cabo por profesores de la Escuela de Negocios de la Universidad de Columbia y de Maryland. El estudio ha consistido en repasar los resultados de las 1.500 empresas más grandes de Estados Unidos y de ver qué relación guardan esos resultados con la presencia o no de mujeres en sus equipos directivos.

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European retailers sign up to green code of conduct

New voluntary guidelines to help retail giants cut emissions and support sustainable products

A group of Europe's leading retailers, including Tesco and French giant Carrefour, yesterday signed up to a new voluntary code of conduct designed to reduce the sector's environmental footprint.

The Retail Environmental Sustainability Code was published yesterday at an event in Brussels to mark the first anniversary of the EU-backed Retail Forum for Sustainability.

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ICAEW hits back at FSA-FRC auditor criticisms

Profession defends role of auditors in lead-up to banking crisis, but accepts need for change

ICAEW chief Michael Izza said reform of audit needs to be “evidence based” following the release of a scathing report which found the auditors lacked scepticism in the run up to the financial crisis.

Izza defended the profession after it received heavy criticism from regulators , who are seeking greater power to inspect and reform audit.

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Climate Change defeats a Prime Minister

Maybe a simplistic headline, but Australia now has a new Prime Minister after Kevin Rudd stood aside for Julia Gillard to take the reins of the Federal Labor Party and the Australian Government.

An impending federal election combined with a series of political errors, such as the handling of the Home Insulation Scheme and the backflip on the ‘greatest moral challenge of our generation’ - Climate Change, forced the hand of the Labor Party factional heavyweights jittery enough to make a move.

Throw in the Mining Super Tax as part of the overall Tax Reform, Immigration and Health Reform and Kevin Rudd’s government was facing challenges from all sides. But what do we as the Australian public care about? Which issues are the ones we are interested and invested in, and did the Prime Minister read the temperature of the community accurately? Obviously not.

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The Green Budget – at a glance

The speech may have been lacking in green substance, but the full budget report still contained a handful of important low carbon commitments

The Treasury today confirmed that landfill tax will increase by £8 per tonne each year from 1 April 2011 until at least 2014.

There will also be a floor imposed under the standard rate of £80 per tonne, to ensure that the rate will not fall below £80 per tonne from April 2014 until at least 2020.

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A new era of sustainability

Peter Lacy, managing director of Accenture's Sustainability Services Practice, outlines how the firm's survey of nearly 1,000 CEOs reveals that attitudes to sustainability are genuinely changing

I am in New York this week to launch the largest CEO study of its kind on corporate sustainability to date, conducted by the UN Global Compact and Accenture Sustainability Services. Nearly 1,000 CEOs, business and civil society leaders have contributed to this landmark study.

Our survey finds that commitment to environmental, social and governance issues is exceptionally strong: 93 per cent of CEOs see sustainability as critical to their company's success.

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Osborne snubs low carbon economy

The focus on deficit reduction was expected, but it provides no excuse for the absence of green commitments

For years the announcement of a new budget was followed by protests from environmental groups that the green section of the chancellor's budget address amounted to little more than political rhetoric. Well, how they will be missing that rhetoric this afternoon.

George Osborne's emergency budget contained barely a mention of the low carbon economy, climate change, the need to cut carbon emissions, or even the coalition's own pledge to become the greenest government in history.

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UK wind industry on brink of new era of collaboration

Newly-elected chairman of RenewableUK maps out his vision for the next two years

The next few years will see a rapid expansion in the UK's wind energy industry as offshore wind farm developers work closely together to accelerate the deployment of new projects and the country continues to attract investment from turbine manufacturers.

That is the prediction of Andrew Jamieson, regulation and markets director at ScottishPower Renewables and the newly-elected chairman of the UK's largest renewable energy trade association RenewableUK.

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Amazon Deforestation Sparks Surge in Malaria

Study finds loss of trees creates hospitable environment for disease-carrying mosquitoes

Deforestation is one of the big culprits in climate change. And now a new study from the Amazon links deforestation with an increase in malaria.

Despite eradication efforts, malaria remains a significant health problem in Brazil. There are around a half-million cases a year, mostly in the Amazon basin, a region heavily affected by deforestation.

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IASB awaits G20 convergence verdict on modified timetable

US companies hoping for a quick and tidy convergence process between US and international accounting rules had their hopes officially dashed with the release of a revised timetable, yesterday.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) released a “modified” timetable which shelves low-priority projects including its work on financial instruments with characteristics of equity, financial statement presentation, insurance and emissions trading proposals.

The board had been working furiously with its US counterpart, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), to reach common ground on all their accounting rules by a self-imposed June 2011 deadline.

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Don't ditch sustainability says Izza

ICAEW chief urges accountancy profession to push forward the sustainability agenda

Michael Izza, the ICAEW's chief executive has urged the accountancy profession that "now is not time to ditch sustainability initiatives".

At a business summit earlier today Izza called on the profession to "lead and push forward" the sustainability agenda which will not have a detrimental effect on profit margins.

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Reducing the Staggering Costs of Cheap Energy

Eliminating domestic energy subsidies is tricky, but oil-exporting countries that do so will see a clear payoff

AS oil prices have risen in recent years, governments in oil-producing countries have faced a hard choice: should they allow domestic subsidies to rise to keep fuel affordable for their citizens—or reduce and even eliminate subsidies and allow market forces to play out? Already, some oil-producing countries, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, have taken steps toward removing domestic subsidies.
By choosing to allow domestic energy prices to rise to their international level, policymakers in oil-producing countries could discourage wasteful consumption and earn additional revenues from profitable oil and gas exports. The government could then redistribute most of the additional revenue collected from the price increase through an oil dividend, which would buy public support for the price increase.

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The double standards of multinationals

Developing countries should be able to adopt a 'polluter pays' principle for ecological disasters – just like the US has with BP

The $20bn fund that Barack Obama managed to get BP to agree to set up to meet claims for economic losses and environmental costs from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is impressive, especially since the amount can be increased. The political pressure so evident also caused BP to temporarily suspend paying dividends. This should set a precedence for how host countries of multinationals take stern action, and executives of multinationals respond to meet their responsibilities – even if only partially.

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London air pollution 'worst in Europe'

The City of London has been found to be one of the most polluted places in Europe after monitoring equipment recorded dangerous levels of minute particles for the 36th time this year. Under EU rules, Britain is allowed no more than 35 "bad air" days in the whole year, and now faces court cases and unlimited fines by Europe.

The breaching of the EU levels after just six months will embarrass the government, which was sent a final warning only three weeks ago from the European commission to improve air quality. Many other places in central London are close to the limit and can be expected to break the law within weeks.

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China Wakes Up to Shale-Gas Potential

China is playing catch up to Asian rivals in the race to buy into North America's shale gas sector, underlining how the world's second-largest energy consumer is waking up to the potential of a technology that could unlock a massive resource at home.

In a week when India's Reliance Industries Ltd. placed its second big bet on shale gas—a $1.36 billion deal for a 45% stake in Pioneer Natural Resources Co.'s Eagle Ford asset in the U.S.—China made a less high-profile move.

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FSA's New Philosophy Must Live On, Chief Says

The U.K.'s new regulatory structure must carry forward the Financial Services Authority's tougher regulatory philosophy, which is "outcomes-based," Hector Sants, the FSA's chief executive, said Thursday.

"Achieving these goals will be a challenge, particularly since we are likely to be making these changes against the backdrop of a continued fragile marketplace," Mr. Sants said at the FSA's annual public meeting.

Mr. Sants' comments come the week after the government announced a regulatory-reform program that will effectively abolish the FSA by 2012.

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New intelligence on reputation and CSR

A frequent partner of the Boston College Center, Reputation Institute, has taken a close look at the role of corporate social responsibility in managing reputation in the first issue of its new quarterly publication, Reputation Intelligence.

The reports draw in part from joint research by Reputation Institute and the Boston College Center. Philip H. Mirvis, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the Center, serves as a contributing editor of the publication.

In the opening issue, Reputation Institute presents four articles:

See full Details.

La brecha salarial entre hombres y mujeres cae 3,7 puntos

Es la mayor bajada de los últimos cinco años.- Los vascos son los que más dinero ganan y los extremeños, los que menos, según el INE

La diferencia de salario entre hombres y mujeres españoles se redujo casi cuatro puntos en 2008, al pasar de un 25,6% en el año anterior a un 21,9%, según la Encuesta de Estructura Salarial publicada hoy por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). El salario anual medio se situó en 21.883,42 euros, casi 1.500 más que en el año anterior (20.390,35). Pero ellos ganan de media 24.203,33 euros y ellas, sólo 18.910,62.

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IWC can't strike deal to curb Japanese whaling in Antarctic

Japanese officials and environmentalists traded blame Wednesday as nations failed to reach a deal to curb whale hunts by Japan, Norway and Iceland that kill hundreds of whales every year.
The 88 nations of the International Whaling Commission held two days of intense closed-door talks on a proposal to ease the 25-year-old ban on commercial whaling in exchange for smaller kills by the three countries that claim exemptions to the moratorium on hunting for profit.

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Emerging economies 'to enjoy food production boom'

The emerging economies of Brazil, India, China and Russia will enjoy an agricultural boom over the next decade as production stalls in Western Europe, a report says.

Agricultural output in the Bric nations will grow three times as fast as in the major developed countries, the joint United Nations-OECD study said.

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Growing Challenges of Energy and Environment

BP unleashed the oil spill disaster, but all Americans are complicit

An unrelenting gush of oil into the Gulf of Mexico with no end in sight is a globalization nightmare – a dark spill killing marine life and livelihoods along the US coast. But when the crisis abates – and hopefully it will some day – it will have transformed energy, environment and trade politics in places far from the Gulf coast.

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Partnering Against Corruption

In an effort to combat global corruption, the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) was formally launched by CEOs from the Engineering & Construction, Energy and Metals and Mining industries in January 2004. PACI is business driven global initiative with commitment from the top.

The PACI's mission is to develop multi-industry principles and practices that will result in a competitive level playing field, based on integrity, fairness and ethical conduct. The PACI places the private sector in a unique position to guide governments' and international organizations' strategies and policies on anti-corruption and has built strong relationships with the key players and institutions from the global anti-corruption landscape.

See full Press Release.

Study Affirms Consensus on Climate Change

Many debates about global warming seem to boil down to appeals to authority, with one side or the other citing some famous scientist, or group of them, to buttress a particular argument. The tone is often, “My expert is better than yours!”

Against this backdrop, some analysts have been trying for several years to get a firm handle on where climate researchers come down, as a group, on the central issues in the global-warming debate: Is the earth warming up, and if so, are humans largely responsible?

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Australia can run on renewables in 10yrs

A new report says Australia could power itself entirely by renewable energy within a decade, halving the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

While going down the renewable road would be more expensive, the report, written by engineers and consultants for the Beyond Zero Emissions group, shows it would also yield energy security benefits.

"Today, Australia's energy is supplied by fossil fuels such as black coal and natural gas which are commodities benchmarked to international energy markets," the group's executive director Matthew Wright said.

See full Article.

Do renewable energy by the numbers, and it all adds up

Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico may give us the will to shape the future.

TWENTY-EIGHT billion is a big number. In tonnes it is a mighty load. It is the sediment eroded globally each year from all our mountains and carried by all our rivers to all our seas. It is also the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels. In dollar terms, it is the extra money we would need to spend each year for 10 years to build a zero-emission energy system in Australia.

To make that carbon dioxide, we dig 7 billion tonnes of coal and suck countless litres of oil and gas from the ground. In total, we already excavate more rock from the Earth than nature does. We are almost at the point where oil production will start to decline, and sucking so hard it is creating problems.

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Russia's oil exploration threatens gray whales

Russian drilling and Japanese fishing, the poor whale continues at risk.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See article:

Oil exploration plans in eastern Russia are a serious threat to gray whales in the area, say scientists with the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The Rosneft company is due to begin a seismic survey around Sakhalin island within the next few weeks.

The IWC's Scientific Committee is "extremely concerned" about the plans and is calling for a postponement.

The gray whale population is critically endangered, with only about 130 animals left and only 20 breeding females.

See full Article.

Nigeria: “World Oil Pollution Capital”

The Niger Delta has some 300 spills each year. But Nigeria, a major supplier for foreign markets, lacks the technology, researchers or journalists that monitor such spills, reports Caroline Duffield for the BBC. Many spills in Nigeria are the result of sabotage and aging equipment. Nigerians who have lost their livelihoods because of oil spills take note of the outraged response to an April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that has left oil gushing since – and recognize that they could do more to hold companies accountable.

“The oil industry is accused of a sharp double standard in its operations – of taking advantage of Nigeria's lack of environment law and weak regulation, while observing higher standards of safety and maintenance overseas,” Duffield writes.

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Secrecy of talks on whaling compromise condemned

The annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has opened with attention focussing on a deal that could regulate whaling for 10 years.

The opening session was swiftly adjourned so that delegates could begin a day and a half of private talks.

Some observers condemned the secrecy, one commenting that recent UN talks on North Korea's nuclear programme were held in public - so why not on whaling?

Conservation groups are split on the merits of pursuing a deal.

See full Article.

La empresa necesita más mujeres en sus Consejos de Administración

He leído en el informe “Presente y futuro de las mujeres en los Consejos de Administración” publicado por Add Talentia, que el número de consejeras en las empresas del Icex ha subido de 50 a 53 en 2009. Dicho aumento está todavía lejos de alcanzar la paridad que la Ley Orgánica 3/2007, para la Igualdad Efectiva de Mujeres y Hombres, establece en vista al año 2015.

El número total de consejeros y consejeras en las empresas del Ibex actualmente es de 500, y para llegar al 40%, porcentaje considerado el umbral de la paridad, tendrían que pasar de 53 a 200 consejeras. Con 53 consejeras sobre un total de 500 miembros de los consejos de las empresas del Ibex, el porcentaje resultante (10,6%) coloca a nuestro país lejos de la “masa crítica” mínima, que está por encima del 15%.

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Attention Whole Foods Shoppers

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, more than a billion people, most living in developing countries were undernourished last year. In turn, the UN World Food Program identifies poor agricultural infrastructure as a root cause of hunger. Because of “buy local” campaigns in the West, interest has fallen among international donors to fund modern agriculture in developing nations. “In Europe and the United States, a new line of thinking has emerged in elite circles that opposes bringing improved seeds and fertilizers to traditional farmers and opposes linking those farmers more closely to international markets,” explains Robert Paarlberg for “Foreign Policy,” adding that the industry has learned from Green Revolution mistakes.

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Books: How to save the planet

Paul Collier is one of an elite band of economists who commands attention from some of the most powerful decision makers in the world so, when he speaks, we all need to listen because his views might just shape the future. His previous tome, The Bottom Billion, was a full-blooded neo-liberal battle cry for an end to outdated models of development aid and a new approach based on turbo capitalism and a generous dash of western military intervention. Unsurprisingly this message attracted a good deal of controversy and his latest work - The Plundered Planet - seems sure to stir up similar wasp nests.

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Participate Virtually in the Forum’s “Summer Davos” in Asia

The World Economic Forum in their Summer Davos in Asia will allow us to propose our ideas, questions and comments on the topic of sustainability.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See Press Release:
Among the key questions that will be discussed at the “Summer Davos” are:

• How can we manage resources more efficiently?
  
• How can we increase energy efficiency?
  
• How can we lower carbon emissions?
  
• How can we rebuild basic infrastructure?

See full Press Release.

Every Day is Anti-Corruption Day - John Williams

Fraud Skims 5 Percent off Revenue Worldwide

Organizations worldwide lose an estimated 5 percent of their annual revenues to fraud, potentially amounting to over $2.9 trillion, according to a new study.

The study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners surveyed CFEs globally as part of a new report on occupational fraud. “Fraud knows no boundaries, and anti-fraud professionals worldwide face more challenges than ever in detecting and combating it,” said ACFE president James D. Ratley in a statement.

The median loss caused by the occupational fraud cases studied for the report was $160,000. Nearly one quarter of the frauds involved losses of at least $1 million. The 1,843 frauds in the study lasted a median of 18 months before being detected.

See full Article.

Capturing Africa’s business opportunity

In the aftermath of the global crisis, Africa no longer seems uniquely risky. The opportunities are huge.

Africa was among the fastest-growing parts of the world between 2001 and 2008, with average growth of 5.6 percent a year. While the commodity boom played a role, stable macroeconomic conditions coupled with structural reforms—including the privatization of state-owned enterprises and lowered barriers to competition—underpinned the impressive growth. It was accompanied by large amounts of foreign direct investment (which more than tripled during these years), including inflows from the Gulf countries and from emerging Asia (China and India).

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Sarbanes-Oxley Gains Some Acceptance, Survey Finds

It has been nearly eight years since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law. And ever since, its worth has been the subject of hot debate by the chattering classes.

But in a new survey by the consulting firm Protiviti, 70 percent of the more than 400 respondents who have put into place accounting controls required by Sarbanes-Oxley at their companies said that the benefits outweighed its costs.

That positive figure appears to rise over time: only 39 percent of executives in their first year of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements found the impositions useful over all.

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Calpers to have directors on call

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is recruiting executives to have on standby, so it can nominate them for seats on poorly performing corporate boards of companies in which they hold shares.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is recruiting executives to have on standby, so it can nominate them for seats on poorly performing corporate boards of companies in which they hold shares.

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Women’s Empowerment Principles: Equality Means Business

Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities. The private sector is a key partner in efforts to advance gender equality and empower women.

The Women's Empowerment Principles offer practical guidance to business and the private sector on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Developed through a partnership between UNIFEM and the United Nations Global Compact, the Principles are designed to support companies in reviewing existing policies and practices — or establishing new ones — to realize women’s empowerment.

See full Summary.

Boardroom bonuses bounce back

Did someone say there was a crisis?

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See article:
Plcs see bonuses rise out of the ashes, but small firms aren't so lucky.
After three years of pay cuts, denied bonuses and strike threats, being a board member looks like it’s going to start being fun (or at least lucrative) again: a report by Incomes Data Services says bonus levels in FTSE 100 boardrooms have staged ‘a dramatic recovery’, jumping by an average of 22.5% over the past six months to just shy of £559,000. Salaries have taken a similarly pleasing upward trajectory, rising by 7% from last year. Could this be the strongest sign yet that UK plc is finally showing some confidence in economic growth?

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Heidrick study finds ‘critical gaps’ in succession planning

The survey of more than 140 CEOs and board directors of North American public and private companies reveals critical lapses in CEO succession planning.

More than half of companies today cannot immediately name a successor to their CEO should the need arise, according to new research conducted by Heidrick & Struggles and Stanford University’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance. The survey of more than 140 CEOs and board directors of North American public and private companies reveals critical lapses in CEO succession planning.

“The lack of succession planning at some of the biggest public companies poses a serious threat to corporate health – especially as companies struggle toward a recovery,” says Stephen A. Miles, vice chairman at leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles and a global expert on succession planning. “Not having a truly operational succession plan can have devastating consequences for companies – from tanking stock prices to serious regulatory and reputational impact.”

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The case for investing in Africa

The continent is now growing much more rapidly than the OECD nations. It may well be on the cusp of a reversal of fortunes.

Most international businesses are still not very aware of Africa’s investment opportunities. Information costs are high: Africa is fragmented into many different countries, and even in aggregate the continent is a fairly small economy. For several decades, investor ignorance did not matter: with few exceptions Africa’s economies were too badly run for there to be many opportunities for firms of integrity. But there has been a sea change—Africa is on the move. There will be ups and downs, but investors from the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) who remain set in their ways may be missing a giant business opportunity if they fail to pay attention to the changes afoot.

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How to choose the right nonexecutive board leader

It’s time to use a structured process for selecting the nonexecutive leader of the board. Defining the role is a good start.

Ever since stock-listing requirements prompted many US companies to name an independent director to serve as the chairman, lead director, or presiding director of the board, these companies have been grappling with what, exactly, this board leader should do and how to find the right person for the job.

The change in governance followed corporate scandals (in the early part of the decade) that led to investor pressures to strengthen corporate governance by separating the roles of CEO and chairman.

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Toward a well-governed Africa

A democratic, prosperous, and peaceful Africa is now within sight.

Africa is blessed with an abundance of resources, both natural and human. The governance challenge is to harness these resources to transform the living standards of people across the continent. It is for this reason that I launched the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in 2006. We aim to stimulate debate about governance in Africa and to foster excellence in African leadership. Our core initiatives include the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, a comprehensive ranking of African countries according to governance quality. The index was designed as a tool to help civil society and government monitor national progress.

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