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Despite a general push for greater transparency, opacity continues to play an important function in international tribunals. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a case in point. While it has done much to increase its openness, the very design of its dispute settlement body is premised on anonymity in some essential respects. We examine two such instances, each dealing with the authorship of dispute rulings. First, we use text analysis tools to demonstrate that the WTO's panel reports appear to be largely drafted by WTO Secretariat staff rather than the panellists themselves. This appears especially true for the WTO's most systemically important disputes. Second, we show that the formal anonymity of dissenting opinions, which is required by the WTO's rules, is a thin veil. Using the most recent Appellate Body's dissent for demonstration, we use text analysis to pinpoint its likely author. In both these instances, we argue that anonymity exists by design: it serves to strike a balance between judicial autonomy and political control. Yet, in both settings, due to increased scrutiny and widespread access to text analysis tools, the equilibrium relying on anonymity is likely to be upset, with implications for the institution's future design. We argue that the ultimate result may be a beneficial one and offer a menu of reform options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration entered into force on October 18, 2017, and marks a step in the growing international effort to increase transparency in international arbitration. International arbitration is a commonly preferred means of resolving international disputes, including investor-state disputes arising from the North American Free Trade Agreement and international commercial disputes arising from private contracts. While procedural rules governing investor-state arbitration include increasingly detailed transparency standards, those governing international commercial arbitration at present generally do not stipulate transparency obligations. This Article argues that international commercial arbitration should adopt transparency standards similar to those governing investor-state arbitrations. In pressing for transparency standards in investor-state arbitration, scholars have emphasized the presence of public interests in investor-state disputes. This Article reconsiders the traditional view that public interests are limited to investor-state disputes. By analyzing specific international commercial arbitration disputes, it shows that although international commercial arbitration does not involve the state as a disputing party, international commercial arbitration nonetheless involves some of the same types of public interest issues. This Article proposes adopting a balance between transparency and confidentiality in international commercial arbitration, establishing public disclosure as the general rule while allowing exclusions for confidential information. As a concrete step toward establish higher transparency standards, this Article proposes the systematic publication of arbitral awards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last few decades have seen a dramatic increase in the public communication efforts of international organizations (IOs). They target an expanding audience, including journalists, experts, activists, and citizens. Their communication departments have grown to more effectively produce and disseminate messages, evaluate their impact, and develop long-term communication strategies. I examine this trend for forty-eight IOs between 1950 and 2015. Based on an event history analysis of structural reforms, I argue that two causal mechanisms most consistently explain why IOs go public: First, normative change toward greater institutional transparency encourages the democratic membership of IOs to push for reforms in order to improve the provision of public information on IO decisions and policy programs. Second, public protest and scandals substantially increase organizational demands for self-legitimation. As a result, IOs reformed communication in order to more effectively generate public support. However, I find limited evidence that IO mandates to promote social change—by teaching norms and knowledge—can account for observed reforms to their communication structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper evaluates the budget transparency of international organizations. Building on IMF, OECD, IPSAS, and Open Budget Survey standards for sovereign‐state budget transparency, we create a 93‐item budget transparency measure reflective of international organization characteristics. International organizations are important global dispensers of accumulated knowledge. This includes the purveying of advice on member state budget transparency. Despite this role, we find only partial budget transparency among our surveyed international organizations. Nonetheless, the international organization financial management and accountability practices were more transparent than their budget process or budget disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the state of S&P 500 companies' transparency by analyzing their Bloomberg ESG (Environmental-Social-Governance) disclosure scores. Additionally, the effects of industry sector, firm size, and governance practices on transparency are examined. Design/methodology/approach - Data were retrieved from Bloomberg using the financial analysis environmental, social and governance function for companies comprising the S&P 500 index. Descriptive statistics are provided on each of the three components separately (ESG). Nonparametric procedures are used to test for significant differences in transparency within each of these three areas based on industry sector. Additionally, nonparametric tests are used to determine the impact of firm size (market capitalization) and governance factors (board size, board gender diversity, chief executive officer (CEO) duality, and linking executive compensation to ESG disclosure) on the composite ESG score. Findings - Descriptive statistics reveal that S&P 500 companies differ in their level of disclosure across the three areas (ESG). The highest level of transparency is found on Governance and the lowest on Environmental. Moreover, there is much variability in the percentage of S&P 500 companies disclosing information about specific Social policies (e.g. child labor). Significant differences in transparency on both the Social and Governance dimensions are found between certain industry sectors. The results also reveal that large-cap companies have significantly higher ESG disclosure scores than mid-cap companies and that governance factors impact ESG disclosure. Significantly, higher ESG disclosure scores are observed for S&P 500 firms with larger boards of directors, with boards that are more gender diverse, that allow CEO duality, and that link executive compensation to ESG scores. Originality/value - This study focuses on corporate transparency through a granular analysis of ESG disclosure scores when most other studies have been primarily conducted at the macro level. Stakeholders, analysts, and shareholders are increasingly scrutinizing firms' sustainability disclosures in their assessment of management quality, as it reflects on the practices/policies that are employed to improve firms' environmental and social footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparency is an important concept in International Relations. The possibility of realizing transparency in practice operates as a central analytical axis defining distinct positions on core theoretical problems within the field, from the security dilemma to the function of international institutions and beyond. As a political practice, the pursuit of transparent governance is a dominant feature of global politics, promoted by a wide range of actors across a vast range of issue areas, from nuclear proliferation, to internet governance, to the politics of foreign aid. Yet, despite its importance, precisely what transparency means or how the concept is understood is frequently ill-defined by academics and policymakers alike. As a result, the epistemological and ontological underpinnings of approaches to transparency in International Relations often sit in tension with their wider theoretical commitments. This article will examine the three primary understandings of transparency used in International Relations in order to unpack these commitments. It finds that while transparency is often explicitly conceptualized as a property of information, particularly within rationalist scholarship, this understanding rests upon an unarticulated set of sociological assumptions. This analysis suggests that conceptualizing ‘transparency as information’ without a wider sociology of knowledge production is highly problematic, potentially obscuring our ability to recognize transparent practices in global governance. Understanding transparency as dialogue, as a social practice rooted in shared cognitive capacities and epistemic frameworks, provides a firmer analytical ground from which to examine transparency in International Relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on association and interrelationship between and corruption. It discusses concerns on corruption expressed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its effect on budgetary and monetary policy. It discusses corruption and its forms including fraudulent practices and bribery between contrac­tors and consultants. It states that reduction in corruption in foreign aid can improve its efficiency and can contribute to an improvement of the quality of governance. Some measures to curb corruption include performance-based lending of aid, transparency and ac­countability of donors and global anticorruption initiative.

Global governance is increasingly about measuring, ranking, and scoring. Focusing on the case of international development, this article suggests that we can learn a great deal about the recent changes in global dynamics by examining the rise of measurement-driven governance. The article engages with the recent scholarship on new governance, particularly the emerging literature on more experimentalist forms of governance. This study finds some evidence of a more experimentalist kind of governance in international development, but suggests that the specific technologies of measurement and accountability through which these new structures of decision making are being facilitated are far from politically neutral. They are instead sources of considerable power that, in many instances, reinforce existing asymmetries and undermine the deliberative potential of these governance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate governance in central banks has evolved in recent years, both as a result of advances made in the study of the subject by supranational organizations, as well as through the adoption of the best practices used in the public and private sectors. This paper aims to identify, analyze and compare key aspects of corporate governance used by the central banks of Brazil, Canada and England in 2015. By reviewing existing literature on the subject, it was possible to analyze certain aspects of the monetary authorities of these three countries in terms of their structures and their committeees, as well as the three pillars of governance normally attributed to central banks: independence, accountability and transparency. The results showed significant differences between the three, and suggested that the degree of maturity of each country's society has a certain influence on the practices of governance adopted by its central bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses legal nature of transparency under United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Transparency Rules in the light of Mauritius Convention and underlines how discretion affects the role of all the participants in treaty-based arbitration.

Effective communication is important to successful software development, but it is difficult to achieve. We believe transparency - the visibility of information to stakeholders - is an important factor in the effectiveness of communication in software projects. We theorise that more effective communication results from more transparent requirements documents. To test our theory, we conducted an experiment. We developed an operational definition of transparency with three attributes: accessibility, understandability, and relevance. We had students and software practitioners use requirements documents of differing levels of transparency based on these attributes to answer questions. We found that participants with the more transparent document spent less time, answered more questions correctly, and were more confident about their answers, than participants with the less transparent document. The results of our experiment provide evidence that our view of transparency may help evaluate the effectiveness of documents as a form of communication. Further work is needed to reproduce our results, and to determine whether they are generalizable to other types of stakeholders and forms of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the increase of public demands fro more transparent European Union (EU) negotiations especially with regard to the EU-U.S. negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2016. It explores how rules' negotiations of general application lack transparency essential for public trust while some TTIP chapters such as those on technical barriers and regulatory cooperation to trade stress public notice for transparency.

Good corporate governance is an essential aspect for a company business owner in order to be reasonably confident about the efficiency of his business and about transparency of the most important areas. It is even more important to have such a belief for the state as a business owner, since there is a view that the state-owned companies show a worse performance than the ones owned by private investors. The research objective: to find out experts' opinion on the most important aspects of corporate governance in the state-owned companies in Latvia. The study used qualitative research methods - a structured interview, compilation of different scientific studies on the corporate governance of state-owned enterprises. A number of experts in Latvia were interviewed. While summarizing the interviews, it was concluded that the views on the main corporate governance areas of the state-owned companies in Latvia are different. Some experts emphasize stronger political independence and eradication of influence, while others stress the necessity to improve the state management for itself to function as an informed and active owner. However, it was generally recognized that the ownership in state-owned enterprises is executed according to the interests of a wide range of public and therefore the reasons and objectives of company formation and liquidation must be carefully explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to discuss the democracy gap in the implementation process of decisions of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement System in Brazil and possible measures to increase its transparency and accountability. Although the selection of the implementation measure is a sensible political choice that impacts a wide spectrum of different interest groups in diverse manners, government shall give publicity and transparency to the selecting process, making possible for interest groups and agents to present their arguments regarding the possible implementation paths and connecting state governance structures to stakeholders, and allowing the collective and legitimate construction of public interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the ongoing transformation of international organizations law. It first provides an overview (an anatomy) of the paradigmatic theory concerning the law of international organizations: the theory of functionalism. Subsequently, it investigates how functionalism came about and how, from the 1960s onwards, its flaws increasingly became visible. The argument, in a nutshell, is that functionalism, as a theory concerned with relations between international organizations and their member states, has little or nothing to say about the effects of international organizations on third parties -- non-member states, individuals and others. Moreover, it is often applied to entities that can hardly be deemed 'functional' in accordance with the theory. All of this is increasingly viewed as problematic and forces functionalism to adapt. Whether it can do so is questionable, though, since some of its problems are structural rather than contingent. Things are illustrated by the invocation of the United Nations's possible responsibility for causing (or failing to prevent) the outbreak of cholera in Haiti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the problems and challenges of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It features the documented submitted to the UNFCCC that details the concerns of Russia on the eroding process of UNFCCC that limits its authority as well as its usefulness. According to Russia, there is rising legal entanglements while the institution's transparency is disappearing.

In July 2013, UNCITRAL adopted Rules on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration (the "Rules on Transparency" or the "Rules"), which will be, coming into force on 1 April 2014, the most comprehensive set of procedural rules in existence governing transparency in treaty-based investor-State disputes. The intergovernmental nature of the negotiation of, and consensus in relation to, the final instrument, confers a legitimacy that is unique to UNCITRAL. This article proceeds to set out the resolution of the intensively debated issue of consent - as ultimately encapsulated in the scope of application of the Rules on Transparency - as well as briefly addressing the content of the Rules, by reference to the deliberations of the Working Group and the Commission, current practice in investment treaty arbitration, and the possible implications for future arbitrations conducted under the Rules on Transparency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of transparency in international tax regulations as of early 2013. It examines concerns raised about tax regulation by members of the group known as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the latter half of the 1990s. The article discusses several reports issued by the OECD concerning tax competition and tax cooperation, the influence of the U.S. on OECD policy related to tax havens, and OECD cooperation with tax haven areas such as the Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Bermuda. The article also discusses the formation of the OECD's Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes group and its impact upon domestic tax legislation in countries such as Austria, Andorra, and Panama. It also analyzes taxation in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT The World Bank and leading donors have emphasized the importance of evidence-based policy making in addressing entrenched poverty. Adoption of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers has also required establishing and updating poverty baselines, typically through Living Standards Measurement Surveys. Although the conceptual basis of these surveys has been questioned, little attention has been paid to whether frequent revisions to the longitudinal record have undermined their value. This article argues that changes to the poverty record have been sufficiently frequent and often sufficiently large to compromise the creation of a sound longitudinal poverty record. The lack of transparency also weakens national debate and ownership and undermines the construction of evidence-based policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many characteristics of the health sector such as information asymmetry, complex payment systems, and professional discretion, make it vulnerable to the abuse of power. Transparency is intended to mitigate these risks by providing clarity on the rules and results of health care delivery processes and by revealing interests and motivations of health care providers and policy makers. But before a culture of transparency can take root in organizations, it is important to understand how people perceive transparency and enact it in their organizational roles. How do managers interpret and label actions and events as transparent or non-transparent? This formative research study proposes a framework and research methods for exploring transparency in organizations. The study elicited 21 stories about transparent behavior and categorized them by type, such as "dissatisfied observer," "reluctant discloser" and "moral dilemma discloser," illustrating aspects of transparency and perceived benefits and drawbacks. Through narrative analysis, researchers can better understand attitudes and beliefs about transparency held by key stakeholders. This information can then be used in the design of policies and behavior change strategies to promote effective governance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has played a critical role in enhancing medical science reporting. Transparency in research is one of its most important objectives and the ICMJE has issued requirements for various stakeholders. However, ICMJE member journals have repeatedly failed to fully comply with a few transparency requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses political and economic changes in Europe as of March 2006, and their potential effects on the partnership between the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the U.S. The importance of U.S. support in the EU in order to achieve economic growth, strong national political leadership, and regional stability is explored. Other topics include the roles of Germany and France in EU governance, the risk of terrorism, and the need for transparency.

Participating in the work of interparliamentary organizations and parliamentary bodies of international organizations, the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan carries out a great work on establishing and further cooperation with parliaments of other countries. The activity of Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan is based on the principles of transparency, openness and is reflected on the website: http://www.meclis.gov.az [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the communication flow in international trading organizations focusing on the functions of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Topics include Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) by the WTO, preferential trade arrangement by various countries, and lack of transparency due to multilateral trading system offered by WTO.