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Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Rule of of Law and the Fight Against Corruption in Africa

by anticorruption_185cgh2 June 2015no comment

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2 June 2015 – The Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Rule of of Law and the Fight Against Corruption in Africa was initiated in Dakar, Senegal. Over fifteen Justice Ministers from West Africa are meeting from 2 to 4 June 2015, where they will reaffirm their willingness to strengthen the rule of law, fight against corruption, and to promote access to justice for all. The recent report of the High Level Group on Post-2015 UN Development Agenda underlines the centrality of good governance and the rule of law as promoters of sustainable development. Many African countries are signatories to international and regional conventions on the matter. However, their implementation faces significant challenges, including the exclusion, conflict and transnational crime.

The three-day conference will be divided between plenary sessions and panels. Participants include His Excellency Mr. Macky Sall, the President of the Republic of Senegal, Ali Fetais bin Al-Marri, the Attorney General of Qatar, and Abdoulaye March Dieye, the Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, alongside more than 15 African Ministers of Justice, heads of international institutions, UNDP experts, organisations and representatives of civil society and NGOs.

With UNDP support, the final document and recommendations will be compiled into a single report that will be shared with both participants and the press.

For more information, click here.

News,

Combatting Corruption Topping Ukraine’s Reforms Agenda

by anticorruption_185cgh1 June 2015no comment

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The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) is expected to become operational until mid-July this year – so noted the Minister of Justice Pavlo Petrenko at an open meeting with national and international stakeholders engaged in assisting NAPC establishment. It is envisaged that mid-July will see selection of five members of the collegiate NAPC, and by that time some concrete tools that the NAPC will be working with will be developed, including the launch of the electronic assets declarations system.

UNDP as a regional leader in corruption prevention has committed itself to assisting the Ministry with developing the necessary guidelines and regulations to make this new e-system workable, as even with the most advanced tools, there would be need for qualified expert reviewers of declarations and analysis practices to spot irregularities. In order to facilitate the NAPC operationalization, UNDP is reviewing European practices of preventive anticorruption bodies to come by with best practice summary regarding set-up and architecture of the future NAPC Secretariat. Works are under way to supplant NAPC with a ready-to-go package of institution-building documents (statutes, regulations, rules of procedure) in order to progress fast and save the valuable time for essential work of corruption prevention.

For more information, click here.

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UN-REDD Programme launches Benefits and Risks Tool (BeRT): Supporting countries to address and respect the Cancun Safeguards

by anticorruption_185cgh29 May 2015no comment

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The UN-REDD Programme announced the launch of a new tool to support REDD+ countries to: a) assess the social and environmental risks and benefits associated with potential REDD+ actions,also known as candidate Policies and Measures, and b) analyse how existing policies, laws and regulations (PLRs) address the Cancun safeguards.

The UN-REDD Programme’s tools and guidance are designed to enable REDD+ countries to take a flexible “country approach” in responding to the Cancun safeguards and other related UNFCCC decisions. This approach is intended to minimize, mitigate and manage social and environmental risks and impacts and enhance the benefits of REDD+. It has two key components: (1) PLRs through which safeguards are addressed and respected and (2) a safeguards information system, for the collection and provision of information on how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of REDD+ activities.

The Programme’s revamped Benefits and Risks Tool (BeRT) is designed to support countries to:

Identify benefits and risks associated with REDD+ actions, in the context of the Cancun safeguards
Determine how the country’s existing PLRs already address the risks or promote the benefits identified
Identify gaps in the PLR framework that may need to be addressed in order to address and respect the Cancun safeguards in REDD+ implementation.
Utilize information on the benefits and risks of specific REDD+ actions/options to inform decisions on which actions to include in the REDD+ strategy.
Provide content for use in the summary of information on how countries are addressing and respecting the safeguards through existing PLRs.

For more information, click here.

For access to user guide through the e-library, click here.

News,

“A future without corruption — One vision, multiple strategies”

by anticorruption_185cgh29 May 2015no comment

By Liviana Zorzi, Event Coordinator on Transparency, Accountability and Anti-Corruption (UNV), United Nations Development Programme, Bangkok Regional Hub

From 11 to 13 May 2015, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) hosted the 6^th ICAC Symposium.

It was an occasion for around 500 delegates worldwide from anti-corruption and other law enforcement agencies, justice departments, regulatory bodies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the academia and the private sector to gather and discuss on strategies to shape a corruption-free world. Inspiring keynote speeches and plenary sessions addressed the issue of combating corruption in various countries and from different perspectives.

Presentations and discussions ranged from integrity risks in the public and private sector, to international networks and agencies to tackle the problem. Last but not least, the experts reflected on the importance to engage the public in the fight against corruption and in the promotion of a clean environment: new technologies and social media can play a crucial role on that.

The main take-aways of the symposium can be summarized as follows:

-The shared vision of a world free from corruption is an ideal, nevertheless it is worthy to continue fighting for that

– There are several ways to overcome obstacles towards a just and fair world: the rule of law and fair and effective legislation are key to success

– Grand corruption has to be a priority issue, as it can destroy entire nations and populations

– Also at the local level, corruption’s effects can be devastating and it is important to promote a zero tolerance culture

– International cooperation is essential, as advocated by China reps and as showed by cases successfully solved thanks to cooperation among different countries and international organizations (EU, World Bank, OLAF…)

– The tone from the top, the political will is fundamental

– Involving the public in the fight against corruption is a necessary step in the establishment of a clean and corruption-free world. Social media can be a powerful way to engage the citizens

– Punishment and clear terms of imprisonment can work as effective deterrents

Presentations held during the dialogue will be made available on the ICAC Symposium website: http://www.icac.org.hk/symposium/2015/en/p01.html

The attendees had the opportunity to visit an exhibition to showcase the initiatives carried on by the ICAC, within the framework of their three-pronged approach (investigation / enforcement, prevention and education), and to visit ICAC premises.

Vacancies,

Consultant for Inclusive Governance Dimensions for Regional Human Development Report (RHDR) on Inequalities

by anticorruption_185cgh28 May 2015no comment

Working as part of the Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster, the Consultant will work with its specialists in thematic areas to formulate the Inclusive Governance aspects of the Report and the cluster’s initiatives, while also collaborating with other staff and consultants working on the other chapters of the RHDR

The chapter will focus on three main barriers of particular importance to inclusive governance in the Europe and CIS region. The first of these is corruption and its relationship with societal resilience in ECIS. Corruption’s impact on governance systems can reinforce the mechanisms which create and perpetuate income and other inequalities and pose a barrier to economic policies to address inequalities. The chapter will articulate the impact of petty corrupt practices on local governance and access to basic services and the effect of mechanisms of exclusion on participation, gender, equality, environmental protection and other factors, while exploring efforts to embed transparency and accountability in governance. The second focus is multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against particular vulnerable groups, such as gender, minorities, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, and the impact of gender-sensitive and human rights-based policy measures on the reduction of inequalities. As a third focus, the chapter will elaborate on the ways in which identified mechanisms for perpetuating inequalities are exacerbated in zones of conflict or disputed sovereignty and how this may be addressed. The research will address gender dimensions as relevant.

The main functions of the RHDR Inclusive Governance Consultant are as follows:

Plan, research, analyse and draft a comprehensive paper and other products on Inclusive Governance and inequalities as part of the Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster to be developed into a Chapter of the Regional Human Development Report for Europe and CIS 2015 on Inequalities; ensuring that:

Relevant theories of linkages between governance and inequality are reflected;
A representative sample of approaches taken to the issues in question is reflected, through research of UN/UNDP and non-UN work in the area in recent years;
A breadth of experiences across the region is explored, in part with comparative approach;
Sustainable Development Goal 16 is used as the framework for assessing governance institutions in the ECIS region;
The research is guided by outcomes of UNDP’s Dialog on Inequalities, Strategic Plan, previous major reports and policy instruments.

Facilitate a broad consultative process with relevant actors in the region for a comprehensive research phase and gathering of extensive relevant data, including in support of SDG 16; consult also with the RHDR team, IRH GPB Team, and UNDP Country Offices on approaches and innovations on inclusive governance and inequalities and explore the use of innovative data collection measures to ensure a comprehensive, evidence-based reflection of the issues, responses, and solutions; ensuring that:

Varied viewpoints and experiences on the approaches taken to governance and inequalities are reflected with reference to specific projects, research and innovations within and outside of the UN system;
Key NGOs and other actors are consulted for sections on corruption, contested sovereignty, people living with disabilities and anti-discrimination, and public services delivery, so that the most specific and up-to-date expertise in those areas is included;
The use of innovative approaches to data collection and evidence are explored and implemented where possible; data should be sought related in particular to the indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 16;
Opinions and experiences are attributed to the persons or organisations of their origin to the extent possible, in order that further research can be undertaken easily by readers.

Undertake a participatory drafting process involving key IRH staff and review by other selected partners; produce a final draft of the chapter and, if necessary, attend the launch of the RHDR in 2016.

The IRH team leading the overall production of the RHDR has adequate oversight of the process of writing the Inclusive Governance Chapter and is able to coordinate its contents and focus in alignment with other chapters;
At least two short articles/blogs are generated on findings to stimulate debate and dialogue;
The consultant is actively engaged in the meetings and consultations of the RHDR task team;
The Governance and Peacebuilding team in particular, and other IRH and UNDP experts, have time and opportunity to contribute comments and feedback on drafts and other products prior to finalisation;
Political sensitivities around naming issues and denotation of historical events are discussed with the Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader should they emerge as issues, and dealt with in a manner in alignment with UN guidance;
Overviews of trends and research in the various specific areas of work identified are shared in full with the Governance and Peacebuilding Team so that all findings of the research undertaken are captured and not limited to the specific content of the written RHDR chapter.

Click here for more information.

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