Global Program on Anticorruption for Development
The Global Hub for Beneficial Ownership Transparency
About the Global Hub for Beneficial Ownership Transparency
Beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) is a cornerstone of effective action against corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion, among others. Enhanced BOT yields considerable dividends for development outcomes - including by safeguarding domestic resource mobilization, fostering competitiveness and strengthening trust in institutions and markets. Effective BOT implementation strengthens public financial management by supporting public procurement integrity, and the efficiency, control, and accountability of public spending. As countries accelerate reforms, there is growing demand for more coordinated, evidence based, and practical support to translate commitments into impact.
The new Global Hub for Beneficial Ownership Transparency (gloBOT) proposed by the World Bank is a multi-stakeholder platform designed to accelerate beneficial ownership transparency reforms in countries by bringing together key actors for dialogue and collaboration, while generating shared global public goods, supporting stronger coordination of technical assistance and analytical efforts across partners, and strengthening the evidence base on what works in BOT reform practice.
The gloBOT aims to bring coherence to a fragmented ecosystem of actors, instruments, and country-level engagements. The gloBOT will build upon existing efforts and operate as a platform focused on improving dialogue between key stakeholders, reducing duplication of efforts, lowering information costs, and enabling more coherent and effective support to countries pursuing BOT reforms. Anchored in the World Bank's Anticorruption for Development Program, and leveraging the Bank's country engagement, convening power, and operational financing instruments, the gloBOT will address a structural gap in the BOT ecosystem: the absence of a systematic, birds-eye view of where momentum is building, where gaps persist, and generally how support can be better coordinated and sequenced.
Initial activities of the gloBOT
The BOT Hub’s initial work program will tentatively focus on three flagship deliverables:
- a global BOT knowledge architecture that systematizes major assessment and diagnostic sources;
- a live coordination map of technical assistance and country engagements to improve visibility and complementarity across providers; and
- enabling cutting-edge research on the impact of beneficial ownership transparency.
Cutting across all three, a regular convening function will bring together standard-setters, technical assistance providers, civil society actors, and researchers to share lessons, identify implementation priorities, and align operational responses. Doing so will help create the kind of structured, cross-community dialogue that does not currently exist in any structured form.
Eventually, the Hub is intended to scale after an inception phase.
How does the gloBOT work?
The BOT Hub’s Secretariat is anchored in the World Bank's Anticorruption for Development Program, ensuring a strong technical and programmatic foundation, established stakeholder relationships, and synergies with related ongoing and future work at the World Bank. The Secretariat will ensure coordination with World Bank units working across governance, tax transparency, AML/CFT, and private sector engagement.
A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) will bring together key international partners (standard-setters, evaluators, and technical assistance providers in the BOT space) to inform and strengthen the work by the Secretariat. The initial TAG members are the IMF, FATF, UNODC, OECD Global Forum, and Open Ownership.
The BOT Hub's community will extend beyond the TAG through the existing BOT thematic working group. The community will include civil society organizations and private sector actors, who continue to engage through thematic working groups and will have access to the Hub's knowledge resources and convening activities.
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The gloBOT will aim for:
- Impact at scale: coordinated action reduces duplication and increases effectiveness of BOT reforms globally.
- An evidence‑driven approach: comparable diagnostics and impact analysis should inform policy and lending decisions.
- Complementarity: the Hub will build on and support existing initiatives rather than duplicating them.
For more information on the Hub, please reach out to Yara Esquivel (yquirossoto@worldbank.org) and Vartika Neeraj (vneeraj@worldbank.org).
While global standards exist, implementation on the ground remains inconsistent. Countries face limited institutional capacity that results in diminished quality of data and lack of verification, weak coordination across agencies and borders, and insufficient evidence of what works. While BOT reforms continue to be rolled out in countries, some of the core implementation challenges are:
- Limited knowledge on impact. More research on the impacts of BOT reforms can improve implementation decisions and design choices. Understanding the impact can lead to prioritization an resource allocation for the sustainability of these reforms.
- Data quality. The quality and usability of beneficial ownership registry data is typically poor. Registries are often built on self‑reported information with limited verification, resulting in incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate records. Variations in data definitions and collection practices across agencies and countries reduce comparability and hinder cross‑border cooperation. Weak interoperability with tax, procurement, land, and company registries limits validation and effective use.
- Accessibility. Concerns around privacy and data protection can lead to overly restrictive access regimes within countries. Often, registries are created, but not all relevant agencies are granted access . Domestic exchange of information can be slow, reducing value for enforcement, supervision, and broader policy objectives.
- International cooperation. Information sharing among countries is also difficult. While tax treaties and mutual legal assistance for criminal matters provide avenues for international information exchange, there are no clear avenues for the consistent swift and effective international exchange of information.
Related resources
+ The Puppet Masters (StAR Initiative)
+ Malawi BOT results brief (World Bank)
+ Beneficial Ownership Registers: Implementation Insights and Emerging Frontiers (World Bank)
+ Signatures for Sale: How Nominee Services for Shell Companies Are Abused to Conceal Beneficial Owners (StAR Initiative)
+ Targeted Transparency: Sectoral Approach to Beneficial Ownership in Procurement and Real Estate (IMF)
+ Effective Beneficial Ownership Frameworks Toolkit (OECD)
+ Ending The Shell Game (OECD)
+ Unmasking Control: A Guide To Beneficial Ownership Transparency (IMF)
+ Map: Worldwide Action on Beneficial Ownership Transparency (Open Ownership)
+ Principles for Effective Beneficial Ownership Disclosure (Open Ownership)
+ Guidance on Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons (FATF)
Launch of the gloBOT
The gloBOT will be officially launched by the World Bank and its gloBOT partners during a hybrid event held at the World Bank’s headquarters. The official launch will be immediately followed by a technical dialogue among experts from across the partner organizations on where the agenda stands and how to take it further.
Date & time: July 8, 2026 | 9:30 - 11:00 AM ET
Location: WBG Headquarters room MC 5-100 and Zoom (hybrid)
To register to attend, contact anticorruption@worldbank.org
