Following SIGA’s participation as a partner in the New York Financial Crimes Forum, held in early June in collaboration with Haynes Boone and ACAMS, this interview with Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, Independent Chair of SIGA, examines the evolving nature of financial crime and its implications for sport, governance and society. With the FIFA World Cup now underway, the conversation also reflects on why financial integrity, anti-corruption, transparency and trust must remain central priorities for the global sporting sector.
Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini is an international expert in anti-corruption, financial integrity and international cooperation. He currently serves as Independent Chair of SIGA, leading initiatives aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and good governance across the global sporting ecosystem.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has held senior positions in the fields of justice, international cooperation and anti-corruption, contributing to numerous international initiatives addressing financial crime, illicit financial flows, asset recovery and institutional integrity.
A recognized speaker at international forums and multilateral events, he actively promotes collaboration among governments, international organizations, regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies and private-sector stakeholders to advance integrity, resilience and trust in both public institutions and global markets in a true multistakeholder approach.
Financial crime is often discussed as a law-enforcement issue. In your view, how has the nature of financial crime evolved, and why should it concern policymakers, businesses and citizens alike?
Financial crime today represents far more than a criminal justice challenge. It has become a strategic issue that directly affects economic security, institutional stability, and democratic resilience.
For many years, financial crime was primarily viewed through the lens of illicit profit generation. While that dimension remains important, the reality today is considerably more complex. Criminal organizations have evolved dramatically. They are no longer rigid, hierarchical structures operating within clearly defined territorial boundaries. Rather, they increasingly function as highly adaptive, technologically sophisticatedand transnationalnetworks capable of exploiting vulnerabilities wherever they emerge.
These networks operate with remarkable speed and flexibility. They move assets across jurisdictions within seconds, exploit differences in regulatory frameworks, leverage emerging technologies and often take advantage of geopolitical instability. In many respects, they have adapted more rapidly to globalization than many public institutions.
What concerns me most is that financial crime increasingly targets not only financial systems but also the very foundations of public trust. Illicit financial flows can facilitate corruption, undermine fair competition, distort markets, weaken public institutions and ultimately erode confidence in democratic governance.
This is why financial crime should no longer be regarded solely as a matter for prosecutors, regulators or law-enforcement authorities. It affects the entire ecosystem of governance. Businesses are affected because financial crime creates unfair competitive advantages. Investors are affected because it increases uncertainty and risk. Citizens are affected because corruption and illicit finance divert resources away from public goods and essential services.
Consequently, our response must be equally comprehensive. We need an approach that combines enforcement, prevention, governance, technology, international cooperation and public-private partnerships. No single institution can address these challenges alone.
Ultimately, financial crime has become one of the defining governance challenges of our time, and addressing it requires a collective commitment to protecting the integrity upon which economic prosperity and democratic legitimacy depend.
SIGA has been at the forefront of promoting integrity in sport. Why should the sporting sector be part of the broader conversation on financial crime and anti-corruption?
This is an extremely important question because sport is often perceived primarily as entertainment, competition or social engagement. While all of these dimensions are certainly true, sport is also a major global economic sector with significant financial, commercial and geopolitical relevance.
Today, sport mobilizes billions of dollars in investments, sponsorships, media rights, infrastructure projects, betting activities and commercial transactions. It attracts substantial international capital and increasingly operates within a highly interconnected global marketplace.
Unfortunately, these characteristics also make sport attractive to criminal actors.
We have witnessed growing concerns relating to money laundering, illegal betting markets, match manipulation, corruption, opaque ownership structures and conflicts of interest. These risks are not theoretical. They are real and increasingly sophisticated.
What is particularly significant is that the consequences extend far beyond the sporting arena itself.
When criminal organizations infiltrate sport, they do not merely compromise the outcome of a match or the governance of a federation. They undermine public confidence, distort economic activity and weaken institutional credibility. They attack one of the fundamental principles upon which sport is built: trust.
Trust is particularly important in sport because it underpins the very legitimacy of competition. Spectators, athletes, sponsors and investors must have confidence that sporting outcomes are determined by merit, talent, preparation and fair play, rather than by corruption, manipulation or undue influence. When that confidence is undermined, we are not simply facing a governance problem; we are undermining the very spirit of sport itself.
Sport occupies a unique place in society. It transcends borders, cultures and political divisions. It inspires millions of people and serves as a powerful vehicle for social inclusion, education and development. This is particularly evident as the world looks ahead to the FIFA World Cup. Precisely because of this influence, preserving integrity in sport is not only a sporting objective; it is a public-interest objective.
At SIGA, we have consistently advocated a holistic approach based on transparency, accountability and good governance. We believe that integrity should not be viewed as an administrative obligation or a compliance exercise. Rather, it should be understood as a strategic asset.
Indeed, integrity is governance. It is the foundation upon which sustainable growth, investor confidence, stakeholder trust and long-term legitimacy are built.
This is why we have sought to build bridges between governments, international organizations, financial institutions, law-enforcement authorities, sports organizations and the private sector. Only through such partnerships can we effectively address increasingly interconnected risks.
In short, safeguarding integrity in sport is not simply about protecting competitions. It is about protecting credibility, trust and the values that underpin both sport and society.
Looking ahead, what should be the key priorities for the international community in strengthening the fight against financial crime and protecting integrity?
If I were to summarize the path forward, I would identify three strategic priorities.
The first is prevention.
Historically, much of our attention has focused on detection, investigation and enforcement. These functions remain indispensable. However, true success should not be measured solely by the number of crimes uncovered. It should be measured by our ability to prevent those crimes from occurring in the first place.
This requires stronger governance frameworks, enhanced transparency mechanisms, effective compliance systems and a culture of integrity capable of identifying vulnerabilities before they develop into crises.
The second priority is cooperation.
Financial crime is inherently global. Criminal networks do not recognize national borders, institutional mandates or sectoral divisions. Consequently, our response cannot remain fragmented.
We need stronger mechanisms for information-sharing, joint risk assessments and coordinated operational responses across jurisdictions and sectors. Public authorities, financial institutions, technology companies, civil society organizations and international bodies must increasingly work as partners rather than as isolated actors, in a full multishareholder approach.
The third priority is responsible innovation.
We are living through a period of profound technological transformation. Artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, advanced data analytics and digital compliance tools offer unprecedented opportunities to enhance transparency, strengthen oversight and improve risk detection.
At the same time, technology is not inherently beneficial. Like any powerful tool, its impact depends on the principles that guide its use. Innovation without integrity can generate new vulnerabilities. Innovation guided by integrity can generate resilience.
This is why ethical governance must accompany technological advancement.
Ultimately, however, all these priorities converge around a single concept: trust.
Trust is the invisible infrastructure upon which our societies function. Every financial transaction depends upon trust. Every institution depends upon trust. Every market depends upon trust. Every sporting competition depends upon trust. Every democratic society depends upon trust.
Protecting that trust is therefore not merely a regulatory responsibility. It is a shared societal responsibility.
And that is why I often say that integrity should not be viewed simply as a compliance objective. Integrity is a strategic asset. It is a security imperative. It is an essential condition for sustainable development, economic prosperity and democratic resilience.
If we can strengthen integrity, deepen cooperation and embrace innovation responsibly, I am confident that our institutions will remain stronger than those who seek to exploit them.
That, ultimately, is the shared mission that should unite all of us.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
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