The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has been shortlisted for a prestigious global sustainability award that seeks to highlight the world’s top anti-corruption champions.
The WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award chose to focus on individuals and organizations working to combat corruption around the world for its 2021 prize.
ICIJ has been listed as one of five finalists for the honor, alongside Icelandic whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson, nonprofit Integrity Watch Afghanistan, lead prosecutor in Italy’s largest anti-mafia trial Nicola Gratteri and Nigerian anti-corruption activist Hamzat Lawal. The finalists were drawn from a pool of dozens of nominations.
The WIN WIN jury highlighted the Panama Papers and China Cables investigations as examples of ICIJ’s brand of accountability journalism, and highlighted the collaborative, cross-border model pioneered by ICIJ.
“ICIJ contributes to strengthening the journalist corps as an important social group in the fight against corruption by working together and making the individual journalist less vulnerable,” the WIN WIN jury wrote.
The prize, financed by the City of Gothenburg in Sweden and others, has different themes each year, and announced its anti-corruption focus for the 2021 award last October.
“Corruption increases poverty, complicates effective climate action and hinders the chances of achieving global goals,” the WIN WIN announcement said. “Money specifically set aside for healthcare or sustainability projects all too often ends up in the pockets of decision-makers, and companies and organisations bribe themselves free from laws and regulations that apply to everyone. In the end, it is the already vulnerable who suffer the most.”
The winner of the award will be announced on April 21, and will receive a prize of 1 million Swedish Krona (about $110,000).
Previous winners include former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his work on improving sustainable food supplies in Africa, and former United States Vice President Al Gore for his campaigning on the dangers of climate change.