The 2009 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) focuses on the public sector and defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. Transparency International cautions that only the perception of corruption was assessed and that the CPI only assessed 180 countries – no information is provided about countries that were not in the survey. In a statement regarding the release of the CPI, Chairperson of Transparency International Huguette Labelle reminds us that while many of the countries where corruption is perceived to be worst are very poor, in fact the richest countries are complicit in world corruption and often prevent measures to return looted funds. At a country level civil society organizations are encouraged to promote governmental accountability by bringing technical expertise to budget issues and help stimulate the demand for reform.