ARRC Journal 2018 | Page 60

ARRC JOURNAL RISK TO THE MISSION, RISK TO THE FORCE – WHY DOES COUNTERING CORRUPTION MATTER? Mr Peter Appleby (GBR-Civ) and Col Alex van Nieuwburg (NLD-A) Corruption will be evident (at different levels of intensity and impact) in every future military campaign. It will exist within a coalition, the host nation, the resources network, national and international political manoeuvring and the indigenous security apparatus. Yet despite having had a significant adverse impact on recent operations, addressing corruption still remains absent from doctrine, structures and training. HQ ARRC, as a Corps warfighting HQ, is actively considering the impact of corruption on military operations with a view to understanding and addressing corruption. Corruption always has a debilitating long-term effect and thus cannot play a part in building sustainable peace. Failure to deal with the downward spiral may ultimately doom any effort to rebuild governance after conflict. pursue justice, maintain the rule of law and deliver a stable and secure environment. Corruption undermines governments by eroding credibility, legitimacy and accountability. Thus, corruption prolongs conflict and poses a risk to achieving mission success. Corruption also poses a risk to the reputation of the force e.g. NATO could be accused of naively cooperating with known corrupt civilians or host nation officials. Reputation Matters Irrespective of the nature of a campaign, in the globally interconnected world where social media and instant assessments shape public opinion, political calculus and national decisions, reputation matters. Equally, the stability of a host nation and its institutions will determine how much capacity an intervening military force needs to divert from its principal role of warfighting and peace- Philippe Le Billon Corruption, if evident and untamed, could be a significant obstacle to NATO’s future operations. Transparency International (TI) defines corruption as the ‘abuse of entrusted power for private gain,’ It hampers development, prevents the growth of the economy, undermines societal unity and increases poverty and income inequality. Due to corruption, governments are less able to provide essential services to the population, 60 ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS Does corruption itself cause instability making military operations more likely?