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Potential pitfalls in anti-corruption strategies, says UNDP
Asia-Pacific countries have undertaken the challenging task of developing anti-corruption strategies, showing that corruption is not seen as taboo anymore and signaling that governments are reaching out to different sectors of society to join forces against corruption, a new report has said
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sia-Pacific countries have undertaken the challenging task of developing anti-corruption strategies, showing that corruption is not seen as taboo anymore and signaling that governments are reaching out to different sectors of society to join forces against corruption, a new report has said.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released on Tuesday reveals that despite the progress, anti-corruption strategies have often failed.
'In Asia Pacific and more generally at the global level, evidence shows that progress is slow in the region, with corruption remaining a major hurdle to development,' the UNDP said in its report, made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The report's finding echoes the global call for 'breaking the corruption chain', which is the main message of International Anti-Corruption Day celebrated globally on Dec. 9.
Citing Transparency International (TI) data, the report says public-sector corruption is perceived as significant in 64 percent of countries in the region and it is estimated that about 40 percent of investment in electricity, water and sanitation is lost to corruption.
The report later points out that anti-corruption strategies often lack teeth when they are not fully integrated into national development plans.
'Anchoring anti-corruption into national development plans is a pre-condition to encourage cross-agency cooperation and avoid silo approaches in promoting human development,' it said.
In Malaysia, for instance, anti-corruption is one of the key national result areas pursued through the country's Government Transformation Programme. This has become a key driver for change as part of its Vision 2020 to become a high-income country.
The UNDP says its experience in the region shows that it is essential to involve a range of stakeholders to build ownership and ensure the effectiveness of strategies adopted.
'State institutions (executive, legislative and judiciary) at national and sub-national levels, civil society organizations, private sector, media, professional societies, trade and industry associations and labour unions, academic institutions, youth and cultural organizations, are important allies in the development of anti-corruption strategies,' it said.
'They can also reduce the vulnerability of reform efforts to changes in political leadership by empowering the public to monitor these commitments.' (ebf)(++++)
