British International Investment has been recognised as the world’s most transparent bilateral development finance institution.
Publish What You Fund, the global campaign for aid and development transparency, announced today that the UK’s DFI and impact investor has significantly improved its transparency credentials since it published its previous DFI Transparency Index in 2023. BII ranked fifth overall in the list of most transparent non -sovereign institutions out of 22, compared with 12th in 2023.
The report recognises the significant progress made by BII since 2023. It is named as one of the institutions which stands out in the Transparency Index as having made notable improvements (second most improved non-sovereign institution, fourth most improved overall).
The report also acknowledges the internal commitment that BII has made to transparency over the last two years, including publishing a Transparency Roadmap, embedding institutional leadership through a Transparency Working Group, and appointing a Transparency and Disclosure Officer.
Gary Forster, Chief Executive, Publish What You Fund, said: “We’ve seen a remarkable transformation in BII’s transparency performance. The progress they’ve made since 2023 reflects not only strong internal leadership and commitment, but also effective shareholder pressure and a clear roadmap for change. BII’s rise to become the top bilateral DFI in the 2025 Transparency Index is well deserved. We look forward to continuing this collaboration to unlock even more vital investment information – transparency that others can learn from and build on.”
Minister for Development, Jenny Chapman, said: “Transparency is key to building trust, confidence and efficiency in international development. I welcome British International Investment being named as the most transparent bilateral Development Finance Institution in Publish What You Fund’s Index.”
Leslie Maasdorp, CEO, BII, added: “We welcome scrutiny and the accountability we have to our shareholder, the UK Government, and ultimately to the UK taxpayer. I am delighted that Publish What You Fund has recognised the progress we have made and the steps taken across our business to transform our transparency credentials. We also recognise that we must go further to build on the work that has been done to date.”
The 2023 UK Government White Paper on International Development made the commitment that BII would aim to become the most transparent bilateral development finance institution, as measured by PWYF’s DFI Transparency Index.
