Using text messages to crowdsource corruption information. Establishing citizens’ accountability forums to review development plans and budget allocations at the local level. Digitizing scholarship data to increase school enrolment of girls from marginalized groups. These are just three of some 14 anti-corruption initiatives being considered for the Social Innovation Fund on Anti-Corruption for Development.
A joint effort of UNDP’s Global Anti-Corruption Initiative (GAIN) and the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (APRC), the Social Innovation Fund will announce its awardees during a Regional Dialogue on “Transparency, Accountability and Voices against Corruption – Accelerating Human Development in Asia-Pacific” to be held in Bangkok, 12-13 June 2014.
According to Elodie Beth Seo, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, poor governance and discrimination remain key development challenges despite the high economic growth in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Fund intends to encourage UNDP country offices and partnering NGOs to come up with innovations that address corruption in a way that reduces poverty.
The Fund has received expressions of interest from country offices and partnering NGOs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
At least three initiatives will be selected to receive grants of US$50,000 each. Awardees will be announced on 13 June, the final day of the Regional Dialogue on “Transparency, Accountability and Voices against Corruption” Bangkok.
About 70 participants from 27 countries are expected to attend the dialogue. They will include representatives from UNDP country offices in Asia-Pacific and headquarters, delegates from national anti-corruption agencies, as well as representatives from non-government organizations and development partners.
Ahead of the Regional Dialogue, a Knowledge Fair on 11 June will allow participants to showcase their transparency, accountability, and anticorruption initiatives. The Knowledge Fair also will be an opportunity for them to pitch for new initiatives that they would like to propose as part of the competition.
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For more information about the Social Innovation Fund and the Regional Dialogue, please contact:
Elodie Beth Seo
UNDP Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor
Asia-Pacific Regional Centre
Email: mailto:elodie.beth@undp.org
