The Fifth Column: Understanding the Relationship Between Corruption and Conflict

Corruption has been a staple of development debates and a key consideration for aid programmes since the 1990s. Its impact in the security realm, however, has received much less attention and is not well understood. ‘The Fifth Column’ maps the diverse links between corruption and global (in)security: from corruption’s role in exacerbating violent conflict and arms proliferation, enabling terrorist and criminal networks, and hollowing out security forces responsible for responding to insecurity, to its use as a tool of hybrid warfare. The report focuses in particular on the role of the international community and the measures it can undertake to mitigate the impact of corruption.

A translation of the report can also be read in Arabic here.