Vision & strategy

Our purpose

U4 studies the causes and pathways of corruption, documents its effects on development outcomes, and identifies and supports efforts to address it.

A just and equitable future for all, free from the damaging effects of corruption.

We use our knowledge, evidence, practical experience, and strategic partnerships to power global efforts against corruption.

Curiosity – we explore and experiment with ideas; we ask demanding questions and lead others to do the same.
Sincerity – we are frank about corruption and anti-corruption.
Integrity – we uphold strong principles in our work and approach. We endeavour to be self-aware in order to avoid and address biases and deliver high-quality work.
Optimism – we keep a positive spirit and approach to anti-corruption.

Through a horizon-scanning exercise, we have identified four key trends that will shape the environment for anti-corruption work in the coming years.

Anti-corruption needs to respond to local conditions.
Geopolitical power is shifting bringing competing agendas.
The complex nature and transnational dimension of corruption must be confronted,.
Practitioners face uncertainty in their work.

Our strategy is a deliberate response to these four key trends.

Greater impact on the ground
To respond to the challenging environments in many countries, and to ensure contextualised interventions, we will support our partners to achieve greater impact in countries where they run programmes by moving closer to local practice and challenges.
A coherent, global approach to anti-corruption
To respond to rising powers and competing agendas, we will work with our partners to develop a coherent, global approach to anti-corruption by being a leading convener and trusted knowledge-broker.
Addressing the complexities of corruption
To respond to the ever-increasing intricacy and transnational nature of corruption, we will equip our partners to address complex corruption issues by taking new perspectives.
Pushing anti-corruption up the agenda
To respond to the uncertainty practitioners face, we will ensure that anti-corruption remains a top priority in our partners’ home countries by strengthening the U4 partnership and demonstrating the need to make anti-corruption a top priority.