Veljanov, Z., Fazekas, M., Klašnja, M., Tóth, B. (2026). Beyond Disclosure. The Global Usability Gap in Asset and Interest Declaration. GTI-R/2026:01, Budapest, Government Transparency Institute.
Asset and interest declarations are a widely used tool for preventing conflicts of interest and detecting unexplained or illicit enrichment among public officials. Yet their effectiveness depends on far more than whether declarations are formally required. The information disclosed must also be accessible, structured, comparable, and capable of being linked with other data. Drawing on comparative evidence and the team’s direct research and policy experience, the report examines the gap between formal disclosure requirements and the practical use of declaration data.
The report finds that this gap remains substantial. Many countries collect declarations, but far fewer publish them in open, machine-readable, and reusable formats. Even where data are available, differences in how assets are defined, valued and published make comparison across countries and over time difficult. Weak use of unique identifiers further limits the ability to connect declarations with other datasets, such as company registries, public procurement data, or other administrative sources, while the removal of declarations once officials leave office restricts retrospective explorations and longitudinal analysis.
The report argues that the main challenge is no longer the absence of standards or guidance, but implementation. It recommends for declaration systems to move from document-based publication towards structured data infrastructure, supported by unique identifiers, stronger in-house IT capacity, broader coverage of relevant officials and family members, and more consistent asset valuation. It also recommends tailoring access to different users, from APIs and bulk downloads for researchers and civil society to clear dashboards for the public, while strengthening automated and risk-based verification by independent oversight bodies.
Read the full report here.