Charmian Gooch: My wish: To launch a new era of openness in business

譯者: 杏儀 歐陽 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

I've come here today

今天在此，

to talk to you about a problem.

我想與在座各位探討一個問題。

It's a very simple yet devastating problem,

這個問題相當簡單，但危害性巨大，

one that spans the globe

全球各地都有它的蹤跡，

and is affecting all of us.

與我們每個人息息相關。

The problem is

這個問題就是

anonymous companies.

匿名公司。

It sounds like a really dry and technical thing,

聽上去很無聊、很複雜

doesn't it?

對不對？

But anonymous companies are making it difficult

現今的匿名公司卻讓人很難，

and sometimes impossible

有時甚至不可能，

to find out

揪出

the actual human beings responsible

幕後真正的負責人，

sometimes for really terrible crimes.

有時候他們甚至犯下滔天大罪。

So, why am I here talking to all of you?

那麼，我為何要在此 跟各位探討這個問題呢？

Well, I guess I am a lifelong troublemaker

我想我這個人一輩子都愛自找麻煩。

and when my parents taught my twin brother and I

當我雙親教我和雙胞胎哥哥

to question authority,

質疑權威時，

I don't think they knew where it might lead.

我想他們沒料到這會造成什麼後果。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And, they probably really regretted it

他們大概也真後悔了，

during my stroppy teenage years when, predictably,

特別是在我青春叛逆期，想當然爾，

I questioned their authority a lot.

我經常質疑他們的權威。

And a lot of my school teachers

我學校裡的教師

didn't appreciate it much either.

大多都也不欣賞我這點。

You see, since the age of about five

實際上，大概從五歲開始

I've always asked the question, but why?

我就一直愛問，可是為什麼？

But why does the Earth go around the sun?

可是為什麼地球圍著太陽轉？

But why is blood red?

可是為什麼血是紅色？

But why do I have to go to school?

可是為什麼我要去上學？

But why do I have to respect the teachers

可是為什麼我要尊重老師

and authority?

和權威？

And little did I realize

但是我一點都沒意識到

that this question would become the basis

這樣的問題竟然為

of everything I would do.

我日後一切行動打下基礎。

And so it was

大概是在

in my twenties, a long time ago,

我二十多歲時，很久以前的事，

that one rainy Sunday afternoon in North London

在倫敦北部某個下雨的週日下午，

I was sitting with Simon Taylor

我、賽門．泰勒

and Patrick Alley

還有派翠克．艾黎坐在一起。

and we were busy stuffing envelopes

我們當時忙著塞信封

for a mail out in the office of the campaign group

從倡議團體辦公室寄出信件。

where we worked at the time.

我們當時替這倡議團體工作。

And as usual, we were talking about the world's problems.

跟以往一樣， 我們會聊國際上的問題。

And in particular, we were talking about

那次我們談到

the civil war in Cambodia.

柬埔寨內戰。

And we had talked about that many, many times before.

這個話題我們談過很多遍了。

But then suddenly we stopped

但是，突然我們停了下來

and looked at each other

盯著對方，

and said, but why don't we try and change this?

問道：我們為何不嘗試改變這個現狀？

And from that slightly crazy question,

就從這個有點瘋狂的問題之後，

over two decades

二十多年以來，

and many campaigns later,

經歷過多次倡議運動之後，

including alerting the world

這也包括向世界

to the problem of blood diamonds funding war,

警示關於血鑽資助戰爭的問題，

from that crazy question,

自從此瘋狂問題提出，

Global Witness is now an 80-strong team

「全球目擊」現已成為一個 擁有 80 名成員的大型團隊，

of campaigners, investigators, journalists and lawyers.

其中有活動發起人、調查員、記者和律師。

And we're all driven by the same belief,

我們有共同的信念

that change really is possible.

那就是：改變，真的是有可能的。

So, what exactly does Global Witness do?

「全球目擊」到底是做什麼的？

We investigate, we report,

我們調查、報導，

to uncover the people really responsible

以揪出真正需為引發、資助衝突負責的人、

for funding conflict --

for stealing millions from citizens around the world,

從各國人民身上 竊取巨額財富的人，

also known as state looting,

這也是所謂的搶劫國家，

and for destroying the environment.

以及需要為破壞環境負責的人。

And then we campaign hard to change the system itself.

然後我們透過積極推廣各種運動 來改變機制。

And we're doing this because so many of the countries

我們之所以這樣做，是因為許多國家

rich in natural resources

擁有豐富自然資源，

like oil or diamonds or timber

例如石油、鑽石、木材，

are home to some of the poorest

而它們的人民多為全世界最窮苦、

and most dispossessed people on the planet.

一無所有的人。

And much of this injustice

如今大部分的不公平

is made possible

之所以存在，

by currently accepted business practices.

皆因這些商業行為普遍為世人所接受。

And one of these is anonymous companies.

而匿名公司，就是其中之一。

Now we've come up against anonymous companies

現在我們已經在多項調查中，

in lots of our investigations,

堅決抵制匿名公司

like in the Democratic Republic of Congo,

譬如，在剛果民主共和國，

where we exposed how secretive deals

我們揭發了一些秘密交易，

involving anonymous companies

這其中，匿名公司

had deprived the citizens

剝削了

世界上最窮國家的人民，

of one of the poorest countries on the planet

of well over a billion dollars.

騙取金額上十億美元。

That's twice the country's health and education budget combined.

這可是該國衛生與教育經費 相加的兩倍。

Or in Liberia,

在賴比瑞亞，

where an international predatory logging company

一個掠奪人民的國際木材公司

used front companies as it attempted to grab

利用幌子公司

來獲取利比亞大量的珍貴森林資源。

a really huge chunk of Liberia's unique forests.

Or political corruption in Sarawak, Malaysia,

還有，馬來西亞沙撈越市的政治貪污

which has led to the destruction of much of its forests.

已導致該國的大量森林資源遭受破壞，

Well, that uses anonymous companies too.

這也是匿名公司所為。

We secretly filmed some of the family

我們偷拍了那裡前總局長的家庭成員，

of the former chief minister and a lawyer

他也是名律師，

as they told our undercover investigator

他們確確實實地 告訴我們的便衣調查員

exactly how these dubious deals are done

他們是如何利用匿名公司

using such companies.

進行這些可疑勾當。

And the awful thing is,

最可惡的是

there are so many other examples out there

現在還有眾多類似的案例

from all walks of life.

匿身於各行各業中，

This truly is a scandal of epic proportions

這的確是一個天大的醜聞，

hidden in plain sight.

就攤在世人眼前。

Whether it's the ruthless Mexican drugs cartel,

無論是殘忍的墨西哥販毒集團

the Zetas,

塞塔斯 (the Zetas)，

who use anonymous companies to launder profits

他們一邊利用匿名公司來洗錢，

while their drugs-related violence

而他們的販毒暴力

is tearing communities apart across the Americas.

卻在另一邊破壞美洲社區。

Or the anonymous company,

有些匿名公司

which bought up Americans' tax debts,

收購美國的稅收債權，

piled on the legal fees

累積法律費用，

and then gave homeowners a choice:

然後只給屋主一個選擇

Pay up or lose your home.

要嘛付錢，要嘛失去家園

Imagine being threatened with losing your home

大家想像一下，被威脅要失去家園，

sometimes over a debt of just a few hundred dollars,

有時這不過是為了一筆幾百美元的債務，

and not being able to find out

卻又找不出

who you were really up against.

到底欠的是誰的錢。

Now anonymous companies

現在的匿名公司

are great for sanctions busting too.

在抵制制裁方面也有一手。

As the Iranian government found out

伊朗政府

when, through a series of front companies,

透過一系列的幌子公司

it owned a building in the very heart of Manhattan,

在曼哈頓第五大道的中心

on Fifth Avenue,

擁有一幢大樓，

despite American sanctions.

儘管伊朗在接受美國制裁。

And Juicy Couture, home of of the velvet track suit,

以絲絨田徑服著名的橘滋 (Juicy Couture)

and other companies were the unwitting,

以及其他的公司完全不知道

unknowing tenants there.

承租的建築所有人是誰。

There are just so many examples,

這樣的例子舉不勝舉。

the horesemeat scandal in Europe,

歐洲的馬肉醜聞、

the Italian mafia, they've used these companies

義大利的黑手黨，他們幾十年來

for decades.

一直都用這樣的公司。

The $100 million American Medicare fraud,

美國一億聯邦醫療保險詐騙事件、

the supply of weapons to wars around the world

對全國各地戰爭的軍火供應

including those

這其中包括

in Eastern Europe in the early '90s.

90 年代東歐的戰爭。

Anonymous companies

而這些匿名公司

have even come to light

在烏克蘭最近的革命當中

in the recent revolution in the Ukraine.

也看得到其蹤影。

But, for every case that we and others expose

儘管我們和其他人揭露了這麼些案例，

there are so many more that will remain hidden away

但在目前的體制下

because of the current system.

類似的案例還有許多，仍是不為人知。

And it's just a simple truth

而事情的真相就是，

that some of the people responsible for outrageous crimes,

一些人犯了令人髮指的罪行

for stealing from you and me

他們在你、我以及千千萬萬人身上偷竊，

and millions of others,

they are remaining faceless

卻不用露面

and they are escaping accountability

對自己的所作所為拒不責任，

and they're doing this with ease,

並且做起來面不改容心不跳。

and they're doing it using legal structures.

他們利用的就是合法的機制結構。

And really, that is unfair.

確實，這相當不公平。

Well, you might well ask,

你可能會問：

what exactly is an anonymous company,

匿名公司到底是什麼？

and can I really set one up, and use it,

我也可以設立使用嗎？

without anyone knowing who I am?

別人真的不會知道我是誰？

Well, the answer is, yes you can.

答案是：沒錯，你可以這樣做。

But if you're anything like me,

但如果你跟我一樣，

you'll want to see some of that for yourself,

你會想先了解其中的內情。

so let me show you.

讓我來說明一下。

Well first you need to work out

首先，你需要想清楚

where you want to set it up.

你想要把公司設在哪裡。

Now, at this point you might be imagining

此時此刻，你可能會想到

one of those lovely tropical island tax havens

某個迷人的熱帶島嶼避稅天堂。

but here's the thing,

但事實

shockingly,

很令人震驚，

my own hometown, London,

我的家鄉倫敦

and indeed the U.K.,

沒錯，整個英國

is one of the best places in the world

竟是世界上

to set up an anonymous company.

最適宜設立匿名公司的地方之一。

And the other, even better,

另外一個更合適的地方

I'm afraid that's America.

很抱歉，就是美國了。

Do you know, in some states across America

大家知道嗎？在美國的一些州

you need less identification

建立一個公司

to open up a company

所需的身份證明文件

than you do to get a library card,

比申請圖書館借書證還少。

like Delaware,

譬如說特拉華州

which is one of the easiest places

就是世界上

最好設立匿名公司的地方之一。

in the world to set up an anonymous company.

Okay, so let's say it's America,

好吧，我們假設是在美國，

and let's say it's Delaware,

也假設是在特拉華州。

and now you can simply go online

現在你可以簡單的打開網頁

and find yourself a company service provider.

找一家公司服務供應商，

These are the companies that can set your one up for you,

這類公司可以幫助你設立公司。

and remember, it's all legal, routine business practice.

記住，這所有一切都是 合法的正規商業操作。

So, here's one,

這是其中一個，

but there are plenty of others to choose from.

但你還有很多可以選。

And having made your choice,

選好之後

you then pick what type of company you want

你再選擇需設立的公司類型，

and then fill in a contact, name and address.

然後填入聯絡資料、姓名、地址。

But don't worry,

不過大家不用擔心

it doesn't have to be your name.

不必填你的真實姓名，

It can be your lawyer's

可以填你律師的姓名、

or your service provider's,

可以填服務供應商的名字，

and it's not for the public record anyway.

反正這個不對公眾公開。

And then you add the owner of the company.

然後填上公司所有人。

Now this is the key part,

這是關鍵部分

and again it doesn't have to be you,

這裡也不必一定填你自己，

because you can get creative,

因為你可以耍點創意

because there is a whole universe out there of nominees

因為宇宙廣闊浩渺，

有很多代名人供你選擇。

to choose from.

And nominees are the people that you

這些代名人

能合法收錢，擔任你公司的所有人。

can legally pay to be your company's owner.

And if you don't want to involve anyone else,

要是你不願意讓其他人加入

it doesn't even have to be an actual human being.

也可以隨便填張三李四，

It could be another company.

或者填另外一個公司名。

And then finally,

最後

give your company a name

給你公司起個名。

add a few more details and make your payment.

補充點細節，付點錢，

And then the service provider

然後，服務供應商

will take a few hours or more to process it.

會用幾個小時來處理資料。

But there you are,

但是你看，

in 10 minutes of online shopping

十分鐘網購的時間

you can create yourself an anonymous company.

你就可以建立自己的匿名公司。

And not only is it easy,

這不只是簡單

really, really easy and cheap,

簡單到不行、廉價，

it's totally legal too.

這還是完全合法的。

But the fun doesn't have to end there,

但遊戲還沒結束呢。

maybe you want to be even more anonymous.

也許你想要更匿名一點。

Well, that's no problem either.

這沒有問題，

You can simply keep adding layers,

添加多幾層關係就可以了。

companies owned by companies.

上一個公司持有下一個公司，

You can have hundreds of layers

你可以添加上百層持有關係。

with hundreds of companies spread across

中間牽涉的公司

lots of different countries,

可以遍布世界各國，

like a giant web,

如同一張巨型網路，

each layer adds anonymity.

每一層都讓你更增匿名性。

Each layer makes it more difficult

每一層的添加

for law enforcement and others

都讓執法機關及其他人

to find out who the real owner is.

難以找出真正的所有人。

But whose interests is this all serving?

但這樣做，是誰最終得益？

It might be in the interests of the company

可能是某個公司

or a particular individual,

也可能是某個人。

but what about all of us, the public?

但是我們這些普羅大眾怎麼辦？

There hasn't even been a global conversation yet

至今為止，全球尚未關注

about whether it's okay

是否能繼續如此

to misuse companies in this way.

濫用匿名公司？

And what does it all mean for us?

這對於我們又意味著什麼？

Well, an example that really haunts me

最近，我遇到了一個

is one I came across recently.

令我相當痛惜的一個案例。

And it's that of a horrific fire

那是在十年前

in a nightclub in Buenos Aires

在布宜諾斯艾利斯一家夜店

about a decade ago.

發生的一場大火。

It was the night before New Year's Eve.

那天晚上是新年前夕。

Three thousand very happy revelers,

三千名狂歡者

many of them teenagers,

其中大部分是青少年

were crammed into a space meant for 1,000.

塞進了原來只能容納一千人的空間。

And then tragedy struck,

然後悲劇發生了。

a fire broke out

發生一場火災，

plastic decorations were melting from the ceiling

天花板的塑膠裝飾品慢慢熔化，

and toxic smoke filled the club.

有毒煙霧蔓延了整間夜店，

So people tried to escape

人們慌慌逃跑，

only to find that some of the fire doors

但卻發現一些防火門

had been chained shut.

被鐵鍊鎖住了。

Over 200 people died.

這造成二百多人喪生，

Seven hundred were injured trying to get out.

七百多人在逃跑時受傷。

And as the victims' families and the city and the country

當受害者的家屬、整個城市以及整個國家

reeled in shock,

深受震驚時，

investigators tried to find out who was responsible.

調查員嘗試找出背後負責人。

And as they looked for the owners of the club,

當他們追查該夜店所有人時，

they found instead anonymous companies,

他們只發現了一些匿名公司。

and confusion surrounded the identities of those

大家都搞不清楚

involved with the companies.

那些公司背後的人的真實身份。

Now ultimately, a range of people were charged

最後，一連串的相關人等已被控訴，

and some went to jail.

有些人被判刑入獄。

But this was an awful tragedy,

但這仍然還是一件令人扼腕的慘劇，

and it shouldn't have been so difficult

而且不該需要這麼千辛萬苦

just to try and find out who was responsible

才有辦法找出該對這些死者

for those deaths.

負責的人。

Because in an age

因為在現今這個時代，

when there is so much information

處處皆有大量訊息

out there in the open,

開放給公眾，

why should this crucial information

為什麼偏偏這麼關鍵的

about company ownership

關於公司擁有權的訊息

stay hidden away?

卻藏匿的如此隱蔽？

Why should tax evaders, corrupt government officials,

為什麼這些逃稅人、 政府貪污官員、

arms traders and more,

軍火交易商等，

be able to hide their identities from us, the public?

可以向公眾隱藏他們的真實身份？

Why should this secrecy be such an accepted business practice?

為什麼這樣的秘密成為正當的商業行為？

Anonymous companies

這些匿名公司

might be the norm right now

或許現在很常見，

but it wasn't always this way.

但是以往不是這樣的。

Companies were created

以前的公司創立

to give people a chance to innovate

是為了給人們一個機會能創新，

and not have to put everything on the line.

而不需要投注一切去冒險。

Companies were created to limit financial risk,

公司的創立是為了限制金融風險

they were never intended to be used as a moral shield.

從來不是為了用作一道道德防護盾。

Companies were never intended to be anonymous,

設立公司的目的從來不是為了匿名的，

and they don't have to be.

而且也不需要匿名。

And so I come to my wish.

現在我想談談我的願望。

My wish is for us to know

我的願望是，讓大家知道

who owns and controls companies

擁有以及控制公司的人是誰，

so that they can no longer be used anonymously

讓這些公司再也不能

against the public good.

被匿名運用、傷害大眾利益。

Together let's ignite world opinion,

讓我們一起掀起全球話題、

change the law,

改變法律，

and launch a new era of openness in business.

並開啟一個商業公開的新時代。

So what might this look like?

這個新時代長什麼樣子？

Well, imagine if you could go online

想像一下你可以打開網頁

and look up the real owner of a company.

查找任何公司的真正所有人。

Imagine if this data were open and free,

想像一下這些資料對公眾免費開放，

accessible across borders

可以跨國查閱，

for citizens and businesses

供市民、公司

and law enforcement alike.

以及執法機關等查閱。

Imagine what a game changer that would be.

想像一下這將如何改變情勢。

So how are we going to do this?

那麼，我們又怎樣可以做到？

Well, there is only one way.

辦法只有一個：

Together, we have to change the law globally

我們必須全世界性地修改律法，

to create public registries

創造公共註冊系統

which list the true owners of companies

列明所有公司的真正所有人，

and can be accessed by all

並對所有人開放，

with no loopholes.

不允許任何法律漏洞。

And yes, this is ambitious,

是的，這相當野心勃勃。

but there is momentum on this issue,

但現在這個問題已開始有推動力了。

and over the years I have seen

這些年來，我已經見識過

the sheer power of momentum,

這種動力的力量

and it's just starting on this issue.

開始在這問題上發威。

There is such an opportunity right now.

現在就是一個大好機會，

And the TED community

TED 社群

of creative and innovative thinkers and doers

容納著富有創意、敢於創新的思考者和行動者

across all of society

來自各行各業，

could make the crucial difference.

這可以帶來重大的改變，

You really can make this change happen.

各位確實可以讓改變發生。

Now, a simple starting point

最簡單的開端

is the address behind me

就是我身後的網址。

for a Facebook page that you can join now

你可以加入這臉書網頁

to support the campaign and spread the word.

支持我們的活動，傳播我們的想法。

It's going to be a springboard

這將會成為

我們全球運動的跳板。

for our global campaigning.

And the techies among you,

在場的工程設計師

you could really help us create a prototype

你們可以幫助我們創建

一個公共註冊網站原型，

public registry

to demonstrate what a powerful tool this could be.

證明這可以成為一個有力的工具。

Campaign groups from around the world

世界各地的活動團隊

have come together to work on this issue.

已經聚集一起，共同解決這問題。

The U.K. government is already on board;

英國政府已加入我們的行列，

it supports these public registries.

支持公共註冊系統。

And just last week,

就在上週

the European Parliament came on board

歐洲議會也決定加入，

with a vote 600 to 30 in favor of public registries.

投票結果 600 對 30 支持公共註冊。

That is momentum.

這就是動力。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

But it's early days.

但這只是剛起步，

America still needs to come on board,

美國也必須加入這個行列，

as do so many other countries.

還有其他很多國家也是。

And to succeed we will all together

若要成功，我們所有人

need to help and push our politicians,

需要一起幫助和推動政客。

because without that,

因為不這樣做，

real far-reaching, world-shifting change

這項遙不可及、撼動世界的改變

just isn't going to happen.

恐怕無法實現。

Because this isn't just about changing the law,

因為改變的不只是法律，

this is about starting a conversation

還需要開展對話，

about what it's okay for companies to do,

探討公司可以做什麽，

and in what ways is it acceptable to use company structures.

以及在何種情況下 使用公司架構是可接受的。

This isn't just a dry policy issue.

這不是一個無趣的政策話題，

This is a human issue

這是一個全人類的話題，

which affects us all.

影響著我們所有人。

This is about being on the right side of history.

這是關於站在歷史上正確的一方，

Global citizens, innovators, business leaders, individuals,

世界公民、創新者、商業領導、所有個人，

we need you.

我們需要你們。

Together, let's kickstart this global movement.

讓我們攜手開啟這個全球運動，

Let's just do it,

讓我們趕緊行動，

let's end anonymous companies.

讓我們終結匿名公司的存在。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）