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Anti-Corruption and Human Rights, Global Knowledge Products,

(New Publication) Corruption and Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Examining Relationships and Addressing Policy Gaps

by 15 October 2021no comment
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Corruption is an underlying cause of and a facilitating tool for practices arising from contemporary forms of slavery; it is essential to creating the conditions for a low-cost, low-risk, high-profit illicit trade in vulnerable individuals. Yet, corruption and contemporary forms of slavery tend to be dealt with in isolation, with no international instrument that focuses on the important link between them, and a lack of systemic data collection efforts on corruption in contemporary forms of slavery. This has significant negative implications on human rights and gender equality, as estimates suggest that 40 million people—71% of whom are women and girls—are trapped in contemporary forms of slavery, with 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriages. In addition, with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economic and labour markets and on people's lives and livelihoods, the risks of corruption and vulnerabilities to enslavement have increased.

This study therefore explores the linkages between corruption and contemporary forms of slavery, including from a gendered perspective, and offers recommendations for the international community, governments, civil society and the private sector to develop effective strategies to prevent and address them.

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Anti-Corruption in SDGs, Global Knowledge Products, Library,

(New Publication) New Technologies for Sustainable Development: Perspectives on Integrity, Trust and Anti-Corruption

by 15 October 2021
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has brought immense opportunities to leverage digitalisation and technological innovation to meet many development challenges. In the area of anti-corruption, technology has become one of the greatest allies for preventing and tackling corruption, not only through detecting, analysing and monitoring corruption but also through promoting effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. However, given that the development of new technologies and digital solutions adds a new dimension of vulnerability, there is a need to address the risks of misuse and abuse of technology, including corrupt and fraudulent activities that could be facilitated by technology. Moreover, there is a need to address the digital divide among and within countries, as well as ethical and human rights issues, to ensure the responsible use of technologies and data.

This study therefore explores the opportunities and risks of new technologies – artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, big data analytics, robotic process automation, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing – for sustainable development, from the perspectives of integrity, trust and anti-corruption. It also examines the current regulatory mechanisms surrounding the use of these technologies around the world, and offers recommendations for governments, civil society, the private sector and the international community to develop effective digital governance strategies that maximise the benefits of technology for sustainable development.

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Anti-Corruption in SDGs, News,

New UNDP Resource Guide: Building Transparent and Open Public Procurement Systems for Achieving the SDGs in ASEAN (2021)

by 12 May 2021

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Corruption poses a significant threat to economies around the world. It weakens institutions, erodes public trust, undermines fair competition, and discourages investment. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), approximately 10 to 25 percent of all funds spent globally on procurement are lost to corruption. As a result, poor infrastructure development and insufficient service delivery to taxpayers and citizens prevail. The COVID-19 health crisis has further exposed the vulnerability of procurement systems to corrupt practices when they are not equipped with the necessary tools to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity throughout the procurement cycle.

Open and transparent public procurement systems are a strategic tool, not only in preventing corruption but also for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they are a prerequisite of delivering medical goods, water services, quality education infrastructure, access to justice and sustainable infrastructure.

The resource guide builds on the UNDP guidebook, Tackling Integrity Risks in Government Contracts (2017), which provides a methodology for governments to assess normative gaps and loopholes that can lead to corruption in government contracts. Through this guide, UNDP promotes the adoption of a collective action - a multi-stakeholder approach where governments, citizen, and the private sector work together to strengthen transparency and openness in public procurement systems. It maps out existing tools and good practices in the region and beyond, which have been successful in achieving this objective. It also lays out some entry points for policy dialogue on this topic and reforms at the national and subnational levels. 

Learn more about FairBiz - Promoting a Fair Business Environment in ASEAN 

 

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Anti-Corruption Measurement and Monitoring, Library,

Manual on Corruption Surveys

by 26 October 2018no comment

Manual on Corruption Surveys

2018

“Manual on Corruption Surveys: Methodological guidelines on the measurement of bribery and other corruption-related topics through sample surveys” highlights the value of producing experience-based statistical information on corruption and provides countries with methodological and operational guidelines for developing and implementing population- and business-based sample surveys to measure the prevalence of bribery and to collect other relevant information on corruption. This manual is intended as a practical tool to support evidence-based policymaking and inform the design, implementation and monitoring of policy and programmes in our fight against corruption, particularly by measuring SDG indicators 16.5.1 and 16.5.2.

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Anti-Corruption and UNCAC Implementation, Library,

Good Practices in Public Sector Excellence to Prevent Corruption

by 17 October 2018no comment

Good Practices in Public Sector Excellence to Prevent Corruption

2018

“Good Practices in Public Sector Excellence to Prevent Corruption: A Lessons Learned Study in Support of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)” makes a strong case that the public sector plays a key role in upholding transparency, accountability and integrity, and vice versa. Part I of this study provides a conceptual framework and formulates an operational definition of both “public sector excellence” and “prevention of corruption”. Part II draws on lessons learned from 18 good practices and provides guidance on how these might be applied to the best possible effect in other contexts, while contributing to the implementation of the UNCAC overall.

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