TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | The Moment of Reckoning for Global Governance

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

Dear readers,

For those interested in the future (and accountability) of development finance, this year’s Financing for Development process is critical. Negotiations carried on in New York last week and the discussions on tax and debt especially will matter for future financing of sectoral priorities - not least education, as David Archer discussed with Faiza Hassan. (And don’t forget TAI’s brief on why FfD matters.)

Another packed Weekly follows. Happy reading!

TAI team

WHAT'S NEW?

Indulging Kleptocracy: Exposing the Enablers – The latest GI ACE blog examines how professional enablers assist kleptocrats in moving illicit wealth and laundering their reputations, highlighting key arguments from ongoing research.

In a region where government opacity and data overload persist, the right tools can make or break an investigation. LatAm Journalism Review has compiled eight essential platforms—recommended by top journalists—that are helping uncover corruption, track power, and tell complex stories with clarity.

Media freedom is crumbling across the EU, according to Liberties' Media Freedom Report 2025, a collaboration of more than 40 human rights organizations from across the EU.

In a digital milestone, the UN Human Rights Council has adopted a new resolution on human rights defenders and new technologies. This resolution provides a framework for holding states and companies accountable for protecting those who defend human rights in an increasingly digital world.

Horacio Larreguy and Pia Raffler examine evolving frameworks and implementation challenges in emerging democratic systems. Read for new insights on accountability in developing democracies.

Is the U.S. Becoming an Autocracy? Andrew Marantz is the latest to take a close look at the warning signs—erosion of democratic institutions, growing executive power, and threats to checks and balances. Available to read or listen.

In a new analysis from the Carnegie Endowment, Tom Carothers and Oliver Stuenkel examine the potential international ripple effects of a second Trump administration, from democratic backsliding to shifts in global alliances.

Eric Pelofsky of Rockefeller Foundation reflects on the fall out of aid cuts and how the World Bank must evolve, including mobilizing support for hard hit civil society. He suggests consideration of short term low interest loans to development NGOS until longer term funding models can be put in place.

The Effective Institutions Project has published a public primer that includes pre-registered scenarios and relevant forecasts for the Trump administration's performance in key thematic areas, including democracy and accountability.

Tax audits in Mali’s mining sector have uncovered massive revenue losses, prompting significant policy changes. Anne Wanyagathi Maina and Kolawole Omole report on what this shake-up means for transparency and accountability in the country’s natural resource governance.

The America Kleptocracy Clearing House is a new site developed by experts documenting public source information on the thousands of examples of kleptocratic acts underway by the Trump administration.

A new policy brief by Aishwarya Narayanan reflects on whether the Global Digital Compact could mark the beginning of a new era in digital governance, and studies the frameworks now taking shape on the global stage.

An analysis of efforts to re-democratize in Poland, Brazil, Zambia, and Senegal reveals shared dynamics essential to rebuilding democratic systems. Despite differing contexts, the case studies point to common challenges that democratic reformers are navigating in their push for lasting change.

What makes democracy good? The Assembly Dialogues' website offers recordings of 5 dialogues with practitioners, organizers, and experts in the UK that explore how assemblies work and how they can make democracy work better.

ESSENTIAL WATCHING

Watch the World Bank session on Role of Partnerships for Building Accountability and Integrity Ecosystems. All partners must be committed and have ownership of shared goals - civic space, accountability and shared commitment are the backbone of open government. (Including former TAI Steering Committee member Joe Asunka!)

FROM OUR MEMBERS

FORD FOUNDATION: This five-year, $80 million initiative, Weaving Resilience, supports civil society across the Global South through eight regional hubs comprising over 30 organizations in more than 20 countries, focused on eliminating inequality and building capacity for social justice work.

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: Features an article by Frederico Menino, OSF’s Senior Program Officer for Higher Education, in The Guardian. Menino warns that the U.S. government’s attack on universities threatens academic autonomy and calls on everyone to defend it.

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION: announced the five finalists for a $100 million grant under the 100&Change competition with its affiliate Lever for Change. One finalist will likely be familiar to TAI Weekly readers - the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

LUMINATE: Supports Agência Pública, Brazil’s largest independent newsroom, recognized for its bold reporting on tech and democracy. On 7 May, they’ll co-host a panel on Big Tech’s impact at Congresso GIFE 2025.

CHANDLER FOUNDATION: Is unveiling a new logo, marking a bold visual update while reaffirming its commitment to building cultures of integrity. The refreshed symbol reflects the foundation’s continued dedication to its mission of fostering ethical leadership and accountability.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Martin Macwan of the Dalit Foundation and Marija Jakovljević of the Dalan Fund joined Barry Knight to reflect on where hope and courage lie in times of shrinking support. Their conversation underscored the enduring drive for equality, dignity, and justice—even without external funding—and urged philanthropy to step up as a stronger ally.

In a time of major shifts across the rights and justice funding landscape, Archana Deshpande and Ellen Sprenger share key lessons for building financial resilience and navigating the uncertainty ahead.

Convergence Magazine, in collaboration with numerous social justice groups, presents a syllabus for an in-depth study of the Block & Build strategy, aimed at addressing the challenges of the current moment and building power against the far right.

In her piece on pre-emptive planetary peace strikes, Tamzin Ractliffe draws on Indy Johar’s vision to rethink security—urging us to act with collective foresight rather than react to crisis. The dialogue brought together diverse perspectives, from Antarctic science and African community peacebuilding to transnational finance and inner transformation.

ESSENTIAL WATCHING

Dr. Kellea Miller of Human Rights Funders Network and Ikal Angelei of Friends of Lake Turkana joined the Spring team to explore how funding flows, and geopolitical landscapes are changing—and what that means for resourcing rights and justice organizations and movements worldwide. Watch the session recording.

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

A Turning Point for Global Governance: Finance, Health, and International Action

The world is at a crossroads. As inequality, climate change, and political instability grow more entrenched, the need for effective governance has never been more urgent. Recent developments in fiscal management, health accountability, and international cooperation are underscoring how prepared—or unprepared—systems are to tackle these pressing issues and provide meaningful solutions.

A new book on public financial management examines the evolution of fiscal governance since the 2008 financial crisis. It discusses the ongoing challenges connecting finance, climate change, and corruption—issues that have become more closely linked in recent years. The authors argue that global financial systems must evolve not just to recover from economic downturns, but to address the broader environmental and social consequences of crises. It’s a call to action for governance that prioritizes sustainability and equity in every decision.

In Kenya, the challenges facing the healthcare system are a clear example of why such an approach is critical. A report by Simon Otieno Josiah and Martin Atela explains that integrating financial and non-financial data can improve accountability and transparency in health services. As strikes by doctors and clinical officers continue, revealing serious flaws in the system, the report asks whether the resources allocated to healthcare are truly making a difference where it counts most. The answer, they argue, lies in data-driven decision-making and better management of public funds.

At the same time, the European Union faces a critical opportunity to show real commitment to financial justice at the upcoming Financing for Development summit in Seville. As global dynamics shift, this summit presents the EU with a unique chance to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to address inequality and instability. Oxfam, ActionAid and Eurodad experts argue that the EU must demonstrate that its leadership extends beyond words, confronting the root causes of global challenges and turning promises into action.

Meanwhile, those working on climate justice also have an important opportunity to shape the future of climate governance. R4D and the Centre for Public Impact are designing a global learning cohort to explore new models of climate governance. Those interested are invited to complete a short scoping survey by May 12th, contributing to a cross-regional initiative that seeks innovative solutions to the climate crisis.

ESSENTIAL READING

To understand these critical times, the OjoPúblico team is launching the book: Esta democracia no es democracia, published under the Debate imprint of Penguin Random House.

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