TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Norway is pushing for the strengthening of transparency in political party funding as an effort to safeguard democracy from corruption and the capture of the state by hidden interests. This call was made at the sidelines of the 11th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Doha, Qatar, on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Norwegian State Secretary for International Development Stine Renate Hheim stated that transparency in political funding is key to maintaining the integrity of democracy amidst increasing pressures on the rule of law and democratic systems in many countries. She emphasized that Norway has consistently made the strengthening of democracy a priority in its foreign policy for several decades.
During the forum, Norway appeared as one of the co-organizers and co-sponsors of the UNCAC resolution on enhancing transparency in political funding, along with Albania, Ghana, and Mongolia. Stine stated, "Non-transparent political funding is at risk of being dominated by hidden interests, rather than serving the public interest."
She pointed out that uncontrolled political funding can trigger corruption, polarize public debates, weaken democracy, and exacerbate inequalities. Therefore, justice, transparency, and accountability in political funding are essential prerequisites for maintaining the integrity of elections and preventing corruption and the practice of state capture. However, Stine acknowledged that many countries, including some advanced democracies, still lack adequate protection in this area.
Stine outlined Norway's experience in building a transparent political party funding system, anchored in the Political Parties Act of 2005 and strengthened through the evaluation by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in 2010. All six GRECO recommendations have been implemented, including the requirement for full accounting for all party units, expanding the authority of supervisory bodies, enhancing administrative sanctions, and the obligation to report donations before elections. Since these changes came into effect in 2013, the compliance rate for annual reporting of party funding in Norway has exceeded 97 percent.
According to Stine, the OECD public integrity indicators and recent studies by the International IDEA also evaluated Norway's political party funding regime positively. This experience has driven Norway to support the resolution to enhance transparency in political funding at the UNCAC forum, with the hope that other countries can leverage global expertise and international best practices to strengthen their respective systems. She said, "Political funding reform helps to curb corruption, promote fair elections, and build public trust."
Similar advocacy was presented by the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption of the Republic of Albania, Fotjona Tace. She stated that transparency in political party funding is the fundamental cornerstone of democratic integrity and a key to preventing corruption. According to Fotjona, the way political parties and election campaigns are funded directly affects public trust, election fairness, and the resilience of democratic institutions against corruption and undue influences.
Fotjona noted that although the UNCAC has regulated political funding in Article 7, the global political landscape has changed significantly since the convention was drafted. Various new threats have emerged, ranging from digital fundraising, cross-border financial flows, foreign political influence operations, opaque online political advertising, to the use of informal networks to finance political activities. She said, "This resolution is not just a reiteration of long-standing commitments, but a collective call to protect the integrity of the democratic process in the midst of rapid changes."
She explained that Albania has undertaken comprehensive anti-corruption reforms over the past few decades, covering prevention, law enforcement, and transparency. In the field of political funding, Albania has reformed electoral processes, tightened funding rules and party expenditure restrictions, and required full disclosure of funding sources for parties and candidates.
These measures have strengthened the role of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Albania in overseeing political funding, including reviewing reports on receipts and expenditures, appointing auditors, investigating irregularities, and imposing sanctions when necessary. Fotjona also highlighted the role of digital transformation in enhancing transparency.
With the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, Albania has developed an electronic financial reporting platform that allows real-time reporting and open access to data for the public, including journalists and researchers. Currently, Albania is preparing a comprehensive review of the legal framework for political party funding as part of the accession process to the European Union, through consultations with parliament, electoral bodies, civil society, and international partners.
In addition, transparency in political funding is a priority in Albania's Cross-Sector Anti-Corruption Strategy for the 2024-2030 period, with targets to increase reporting, prevent illegal funding, and protect election integrity. Fotjona said, "Transparency in political funding is inseparable from efforts to combat corruption and protect the values of democracy."
This CoSP11 side event also involved international organizations and civil society, including IFES, International IDEA, and Transparency International. They urged UNCAC member states to support the resolution as the initial step in strengthening global cooperation to enhance standards for transparency and accountability in political funding.
This advocacy for enhancing transparency in political funding is relevant to the Indonesian context. Recently, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation on the Regent of Central Lampung, Ardito Wijaya. Ardito is suspected of accepting bribes related to projects in Central Lampung. The KPK found that the flow of money from corruption was used by Ardito to cover campaign expenses for regent.
The KPK is currently analyzing the governance of political parties. The study focuses on the high financial needs of political parties in Indonesia. "Ranging from funding for winning elections, political party operations, to internal activity funding such as congresses and party consultations," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo
Read: UK, Norway Establish Joint Fleet to Track Russian Submarines
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
