Yearly Archives

2013

News,

Questionnaire on the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights

by 3 September 2013no comment
panama2013vf

                Photo: http://www.ohchr.org


The Secretariat of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee has the honour to transmit, on behalf of the Advisory Committee, a questionnaire pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 23/9.

At its eleventh session in August 2013, the Advisory Committee constituted a drafting group and prepared questionnaires for dissemination to Member States, relevant international and regional organizations dealing with the issue of corruption, in particular the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Anti-Corruption Academy and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as national human rights institutions, civil society and relevant academic institutions. The drafting group of the Advisory Committee is tasked with drafting a preliminary research-based report for the twelfth session of the Advisory Committee (February 2014).

You are kindly requested to submit your responses to the questionnaire to the Secretariat at: hrcadvisorycommittee@ohchr.org by 31 October 2013. Download here the questionnaire

 

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The modernization of Supreme Audit Institutions and their Role in the Fight Against Corruption

by 3 September 2013no comment
panama2013vf

 


UNDP participates with the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the OAS and the Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) in a regional event to promote transparency and accountability.

As part of the activities to commemorate the 90th anniversary of its creation, the Colombian General Comptroller’s Office organized a regional event to analyze the role of supreme audit institutions in the fight against corruption.

 Corruption remains a challenge for democratic systems, especially in countries consolidating development, and has been identified as one of the biggest obstacles to reduce inequalities.  The regional seminar organized by Colombia´s General Comptroller’s office brought together representatives of regional organizations (IDB, OAS, OLACEFS), representatives of supreme audit institutions (the Court of Accounts of Brazil, Chamber of Accounts of the Dominican Republic, General Comptroller of Ecuador), and the private and academic sectors, who analyzed  the measures taken by states to prevent and sanction corrupt practices.
The Governance and Decentralization Policy Advisor of the UNDP Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama, Gerardo Berthin, participated as part of a panel along with representatives of the IDB and the World Bank offering an analysis on modernization of Supreme Audit Institutions and their role in preventing corruption in Latin America from the perspective of democratic governance.
 
Similarly, the panel offered an opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives supported by UNDP in the region.  For example, in the case of Chile, where UNDP promoted a broad partnership with the General Comptroller´s Office, and other Chilean institutions and organizations (including the private sector and civil society organizations) to assess the II and V Chapters of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, among other activities; in Colombia where UNDP is accompanying the Transparency Secretariat of the Presidency in the construction of an integrated anti-corruption policy using a participatory approach,  and  in risk sectorial maps; and in the Dominican Republic, where UNDP (along with the IDB and the European Union) is strengthening the capacity of the Chamber of Accounts to oversee an efficient, effective and transparent use of State´s resources.
For further information go to the Colombian General Comptroller´s Office (in Spanish).

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Empowering Citizens – Fighting Corruption through Social Media in Kosovo

by 3 September 2013no comment

 

Photo: Kosovo pupils in an overcrowded classroom

320 pupils were attending classes in provisional shelters in absence of a proper school. After InternewsKosovaand BIRN received reports through a platform which was created to report corruption cases and proved beneficial for other issues as well. They conducted in-depth research, interviews with teachers and parents and visits to the school, and, at the end, the case was addressed by the Ministry of Education which publicly promised that the school will be built in 2014.

In partnership with InternewsKosova and theBalkan Investigative Reporting Network(BIRN), UNDP has developed a web-platform “www.kallxo.com” which allows Kosovo citizens to report corruption in real time through multiple channels, including social media, SMS and the web. By visualizing and mapping reported corruption cases in the internet, the project aims to attract citizens’ participation and raise awareness on the level and form of corruption occurring in Kosovo.

One year after launching the platform, approximately 900 cases were reported, ranging from corruption in government, educational institutions, fraud at the local level, misconduct of public officials, etc.

Because of this success, www.kallxo.com is now also increasingly being used to report inefficiencies in delivering public services at the local level. To date, around 30 municipalities in Kosovo have placed an iFrame of www.kallxo.com on their official website to facilitate the municipality’s interaction with the citizens.

Highlights

  • One year after launching the platform, approximately 900 cases were reported
  • 30 municipalities in Kosovo have placed an iFrame of www.kallxo.com on their official website

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The Role for Anti-corruption and Governance: Looking to 2015 and Beyond

by 3 September 2013no comment

  panel es

Photo: Eric Anderson, UNDP NY

New York— Making anti-corruption policies part of daily life and create more accountability at national and international levels were at the core of a global panel discussion this morning, held alongside the 68th United Nations General Assembly. The event was jointly organized by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Transparency International (TI) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
 
The panel gathered to debate the role of anti-corruption and governance in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and launch the anti-corruption web-portal www.anti-corruption.org, a UN inter-agency tool led by UNDP to contribute to the discussion on the role of transparency and accountability in effective service delivery.
 
“UNDP has learned from experience that what works best are specific anti-corruption measures integrated into basic service delivery systems coupled with an increase in the engagement of civil society,” said Rebeca Grynspan, UN Under Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator. “For the MDGs or the Post-2015 Development goals to be achieved, not only economies need to grow, but revenues must be invested back in better services and improvements in infrastructure for all people.”
 
The panel also discussed the strong correlation between corrupt practices and key development indicators such as gender equality, youth empowerment, universal access to water, health and education.
 
As an example, evidence from a recent study from Transparency International showed that in countries where more than 60 per cent of the population pays bribes to access public services, more women die in childbirth, fewer people have access to clean water, and illiteracy rates among young people are higher.
 
UNDP also published similar studies that shows how corruption is a major obstacle to service delivery: “UNDP, Seeing Beyond the State: Grassroots Women’s Perspectives on Corruption and Anti-Corruption, 2012” and “Fighting Corruption in Health, Education and Water Sectors, 2011”.
 
There is a growing consensus among development practitioners and member states representatives on the importance of integrating transparency and accountability measures in development policies as a way to prevent waste of crucial resources that are aimed at financing development.
 
“Opening data is key to combating corruption. We are opening our data and showing where corruption is, and sharing lessons learned on what we can do to improve,” said Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, Minister of International Development of Norway.
 
In the fight against corruption, “ it is important to focus more on  building institutions rather than new frameworks for anti-corruption,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, Minister of Finance of Nigeria.
 
 Panelists today included Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International;Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance of Nigeria; Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, Minister of International Development of Norway; and Rebeca Grynspan, UN Under Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator.
 
For more information, please click here to read

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Anti-corruption Contribution to Urban Equity

by 3 September 2013no comment

 Wuf7

 UNDP Global Anti-corruption Initiative, the UNDP Colombia Country Office and the Bogota Chamber of Commerce invite you to a side-event:
“Anti-corruption Contribution to Urban Equity”
Organized during the 7th World Urban Forum (WUF7)

 

Date: Sunday April 6 2014

Time:9:00 – 11:00a.m.

Location:Centro Mayor (Calle 41 # 55-80), UN Room. Medellin, Antioquia.

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9:00-9:15         Opening remarks by Fabrizio Hochschild, Resident Representative, UNDP Colombia

9:15-10:15       High level panel discussion

  • Hon. Akwasi Oppong Fosu – Minister of Local Government and Rural Development , Ghana
  • Mr. Sergio Fajardo, former Mayor of Medellin and actual Governor of Antioquia
  • Mr. François Vincke, Lawyer, Member of the Brussels Bar, Vice-Chairman of the ICC Commission on Corporate Responsibility & Anti-corruption
  • Judith Pinedo, former Mayor of Cartagena and former director of UNCITA
  • Kodjo Mensah-Abrampa, Policy Advisor – Local Governance, Democratic Governance Group, UNDP

Moderator: Karen Hussmann, Coordinadora Proyecto para aumentar la Integridad y Transparencia en Colombia; Unión Europea – FIIAPP.

 

Responding to the theme of the WUF7 on the role of cities in addressing inequality and exclusion, this multi-stake holder dialogue will bring together national government representatives, mayors and representatives from the local levels, private sector, academia, and the United Nations to contribute to the discussion on how cities can be agents for change and transformation in promoting transparency and accountability and fighting corruption.

If you have not signed up for WUF7, you can sign up for the side event half an hour before it starts.  For more information please contact:

Nadya Aranguren (nadyalibertad@pund.org.co +571 4889002 ext. 212, +57 3118125521).


Organized by:

 

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