Governance First: Tackling Corruption Risks Amid Rising Defence Spending

Defence procurement is a notoriously high-risk area for corruption. It involves high-value funding with limited transparency, leaving it especially vulnerable to corruption risks during periods of rapid defence spending. Corruption loopholes in this area can have a serious ripple effect on all other aspects of defence governance and capabilities – making prevention and mitigation particularly important.

Whilst there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing the institutional weaknesses related to defence spending and procurement, our policy brief gives an overview on the key areas in which improvements can be made to strengthen public financial management and integrity standards.