The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), supporting civil society organizations to curb corruption and promote government transparency and accountability, has established the “Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative.” Mr. Metzger, who died in December 2012, was a co-founder of PTF and a former General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
PTF President Daniel Ritchie stated, “The Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative will promote citizen-led action in developing countries to make governments transparent, accountable and free of corruption. It will focus especially on improving the lives of the poorest citizens – those most affected by corruption and poor governance. The initiative will promote systems of justice that respect individual rights, equality, fairness, individual dignity, and respect for all before the law.”
Mr. Ritchie added, “Barry Metzer was a founding PTF Board Director and for a dozen years its beacon and moral compass. He guided PTF’s establishment as a public charity, arranged for his law firm, Baker and McKenzie, to provide pro bono legal counsel, and he single-handedly secured funding from a private foundation that enabled the PTF to professionalize its management. He was proud to see the PTF grow and prosper, in no small measure due to his good works.”
The Initiative was announced at the Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank in New Delhi on April 30, 2013. PTF Board Director Vinay Bhargava stated: “Our new program honors Barry’s remarkable legacy and commitment to the rights of citizens. He was a visionary and a man of action. He championed actions by citizens that promoted legal frameworks to support honest, transparent and accountable government; citizen monitoring of the implementation of laws and regulations; and corrective action when officials act in violation of people’s rights. Barry saw the rule of law as the foundation of a just society and PTF will pursue projects and programs that reflect his values and commitment.”
PTF is an international non-profit organization promoting citizen action to fight corruption and strengthen government accountability. It has funded more than 200 projects in 50 countries, many of which have highlighted key issues of justice and the rule of law. The Metzger Initiative will ensure that basic civil rights continue to be a core focus of PTF’s work.
