A high-level, three-day regional convening targeting the growing threat of the “financialization of politics” officially opened in Accra today. Bringing together a powerful coalition of continental leaders, policymakers, and civil society advocates, the event runs from July 14 to July 16, 2026, under the urgent theme: “Advancing Reform, Transparency, Accountability, and Democratic Integrity.”The event is co-organized by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Open Society Foundations (OSF), and Transparency International, in cooperation with the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC).
The conference opened with a powerful virtual address from Binaifer Nowrojee, President of the Open Society Foundations, who warned that the unchecked power of money in politics is eroding the core promise of democracy. “Democracy rests on a simple promise that every citizen’s voice matters,” Nowrojee stated. “Yet when money is hidden, unregulated, or concentrated in the hands of a few, that promise begins to erode. Political competition becomes less about ideas and public service and more about access to financial resources.” Nowrojee pointed to rising campaign costs in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe as evidence of how marginalized groups, including women, youth, and rural communities are systematically pushed to the margins of political life.
Hon. Kwami Edem Senanu, Chair of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), reminded attendees of Africa’s historical role in fighting political corruption and championed the push toward robust regional policies. He highlighted the significance of the UN’s landmark Resolution 11/7 on the integrity of political finance, adopted in Doha, noting that nine of its original co-sponsors were African nations.”I think it is a landmark and historic milestone for us to know that our continent had a document with this even before the international community got in there,” Hon. Senanu declared, rallying the room to applause.Senanu emphasized that while 49 of the 55 AU member states have ratified the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), there remains an urgent, critical need to turn those commitments into local laws.The AUABC is currently collaborating with the Pan-African Parliament and other technical bodies to develop a continental Model Law on Political Financing to assist countries in standardizing oversight, closing regulatory loopholes, and curbing illicit financial flows.
The convening has drawn an exceptional roster of leaders and advocates across the governance spectrum, representing a united front against political corruption. Dignitaries and key speakers present at the opening sessions include:Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, Republic of Ghana, Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Hon. Kwami Edem Senanu, Chair of the AUABC, Brian Kagoro, Managing Director, Africa Open Society Foundations, Jorge Valladares, Lead, Political Integrity Policy, Transparency International, Brigitte Strobel-Shaw, Acting Director, Division for Treaty Affairs, UNODC, Vivian Hilde Opsvik, Deputy Head of Cooperation, Norwegian Embassy in Ghana, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Second Vice-President, Pan-African Parliament, and Ghanaian Member of Parliament, Hon. Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister of Finance and a Ghanaian Member of Parliament, amongst other.
Over the next three days, the Community of Practice on Money in Politics in Africa will deliberate on actionable solutions rather than simply diagnosing the crisis. Discussions are set to focus on building concrete, resilient institutions capable of enforcing meaningful disclosure of political party funding, fair and transparent public financing systems to level the electoral playing field, Independent, robust enforcement to insulate political processes from illicit and foreign financial capture and protective frameworks for whistleblowers and civil society watchdogs.
The event concludes on July 16, 2026, with organizers aiming to deliver a consolidated roadmap for implementing the AU Model Law on Political Financing and strengthening civic oversight across the continent.
