January 2019 Newsletter
Push for ethics and integrity into education curricula The integration of ethics and integrity into the education curriculum was a critical sentiment shared by participants at the UN-PRAC education workshop in Nadi on 11-12 December 2018. Curriculum writers and anti-corruption policy representatives from seven Pacific Island countries shared current approaches and discussed how best to enhance anti-corruption integration into their local education curricula at all levels.
only country in the Pacific to have developed a National Anti-Corruption Curriculum for primary and secondary schools. It is a partnership between FICAC and the Ministry of Education. Fiji’s pilot programme was completed in 2018 and the nationwide roll-out will commence this year.
At the tertiary level, there were representatives from the University of the South Pacific (USP), Pacific Theological College, Fiji National University and the UN-PRAC partnered with the Fiji Inde- Solomon Islands University. Lecturers pendent Commission Against Corrup- who were currently teaching ethics tion (FICAC) for this workshop. Fiji is the shared their approach.
International best practice was also highlighted. This included open access to free online products and activities at all levels, such as through UNODC’s Education for Justice Initiative, available at: www.unodc.org/e4j/. Public information activities that contribute to non-tolerance of corruption have been clearly highlighted in national anti-corruption strategies/ policies as a priority. UN-PRAC has been requested to work together with these Pacific Island countries and others that wish to make anti-corruption a priority in their education curriculum.
International Anti-Corruption Day makes its mark in the Pacific International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), officially on 9 December, was celebrated around the Pacific. Activities were widely reported by local media. The successful recipients of UNPRAC’s annual IACD grants were the State Public Auditor’s Office in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, the Fiji Council of Social Services and the Pacific Youth Against Corruption Network in Fiji. The Solomon Islands Government used the day to join with civil society, youth and the UN to enact its Anti Corruption Bill and Whistleblowers Bill, key components of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
In Pohnpei, a talent show (pictured below) was organized that allowed art to be used to speak out against corruption and raise awareness. This included songs, music jams, dances, drama, poems and presentations. The Pacific Youth Against Corruption Network and Scripture Union Fiji organized a week-long anti-corruption programme. This centred around an ‘artivism’ competition, themed “Live Out Loud”, which was part of an annual, national secondary school camp.
To mark the IACD, Papua New Guinea (PNG) government departments, private sector, the media, NGOs and development partners gathered to share initiatives in addressing corruption in the country (above). With support from UNDP, the discussions included the Department of Finance, Ombudsman Commission, Transparency International, PNG Law Society, Business Council and PNG Institute of National Affairs
Award for PNG At the annual Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani International AntiCorruption Excellence (ACE) Award 2018, Papua New Guinea’s Phones Against Corruption project garnered international attention when it was recognised for its innovative mobile platform to report corruption.
University youth make it safe UN-PRAC and Youths For Integrity were active at Fiji’s USP campus on International Youth Day, 10 August 2018, inviting young people to shed light on integrity. The theme was “Safe Spaces” and young people highlighted some of the ways they can foster safe spaces to tackle corruption.
Leaders at all levels of Kiribati society (including Minister Alex Teabo, above) signed two pledges on climate action and fighting corruption in Tarawa in September, at an event supported by UN-PRAC and the Kiribati Islands Corruption Kickers.
Private Sector works corruption in
UN-PRAC partnered with the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) to organise a Fiji Business Breakfast on 29 November that saw 36 representatives from the private sector and civil society convene in Suva. This addressed how the infrastructure sector can better prevent corruption, acknowledging the critical role that the private sector plays in advancing anti-corruption initiatives in the Pacific.
to cut risks of infrastructure sector
Solomons media step up for corruption reporting training
The key learning outcomes included: there is a need to integrate moral values into corporate ethics, more awareness on UNCAC required, as well as corruption risk assessments and mitigation in the private sector; and strengthening and enforcement of anti-corruption legislation was also highlighted as a priority.
UN Convention Against Corruption in the Pacific Pacific States Parties to UNCAC
Date of ratification/ accession
Cook Islands
17 October 2011
Federated States of Micronesia
21 March 2012
Fiji
14 May 2008
Kingdom of Tonga Kiribati
27 September 2013
Nauru
12 July 2012
Niue
3 November 2017
Palau
24 March 2009
Papua New Guinea
16 July 2007
Republic of the Marshall Islands
17 November 2011
Samoa
18 April 2018
Solomon Islands
6 January 2012
Tokelau (New Zealand) Tuvalu
4 September 2015
Vanuatu
12 July 2011
UN-PRAC together with the UNDP Transparency Accountability Project and the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) conducted the Investigative Journalism, Corruption and Integrity Workshop from 19-23 November 2018. The workshop focused on investigative reporting and provided expert mentoring for 20 local journalists by UN-PRAC, USP’s Journalism Coordinator, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Commission Chair and Solomon Business Magazine publisher Robert Iroga (pictured above). A key outcome was the commitment of local integrity agencies, including the Auditor-General, Ombudsman and Leadership Code Commission chair, to boost their regular engagement with the media to promote transparency and understanding.
Volunteerism is a priority for the UN and Pacific countries and UNPRAC is delighted to benefit from Jinsol Park (above, centre) recently “This training has greatly boosted the capaci- joining the team. UN-PRAC thanks ty of our local media to report on corrup- the Government of the Republic of tion,” said the President of MASI, Charles Korea for supporting volunteerism and Jinsol’s placement. Kadamana.
Pacific advocates call for effective partnerships “Parliamentarians, youth and civil society need to work more in effective partnerships to be able to boost integrity in the Pacific,” Vanuatu National Youth Council media officer Deffnie Thompson told the 18th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2018. Ms Thompson was speaking in the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) session along with Samoa MP Taefu Lemi and UNPRAC’s Michaela Stojkoska. Three youth and civil society representatives from Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu along with the Samoan MP and PNG Government official attended as active participants in various sessions at the IACC conference. Speaking on the topic “Why Youth Matters: Young People in the Fight Against Corruption” session in Copenhagen, Philip Manakako encouraged youths and youth groups to continue anti-corruption efforts within their own spaces. “The fight against corruption is like building a canoe: it’s for the benefit of the whole community, so the whole community needs to participate in building it. Elderly and children, men and women, boys and girls,” said Manakako. The Pacific delegates agreed that cooperation between nonState actors was a key learning outcome of the IACC.
UN-PRAC, CSOs cleaning up conduct A code of conduct is an effective way for community groups to enshrine integrity in their organizations. UN-PRAC has been active working with umbrella CSOs including the Pacific Regional (PRNGO Alliance) to revisit and update their own code, pictured (at right and below) during the October 2018 workshops. UN-PRAC is also working with PIANGO on its code during 2019. Umbrella CSOs interested in assistance from UN-PRAC in reviewing or establishing a code of conduct and engagement work on SDG16 and anti-corruption, should contact a member of the UN-PRAC team below.
For more information, please contact: Mihaela Stojkoska, Anti-Corruption Specialist, UNDP Pacific Office, mihaela.stojkoska@undp.org
Annika Wythes, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNODC, annika.wythes@un.org Lavenia Rokovucago, Programme Officer, UN-PRAC, lavenia.rokovucago@undp.org Venina Niumataiwalu, Programme Officer, UN-PRAC, venina.niumataiwalu@undp.org Maria Lee, Programme Assistant, UNDP/UNODC, maria.lee@undp.org Jinsol Park, United Nations Volunteer, Specialist jinsol.park@undp.org
Pacific executive summaries of the UNCAC review reports can be found under the country-specific pages at: http:// www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ treaties/CAC/country-profile/ index.html. The UN-PRAC Project is a joint fouryear initiative of UNDP and UNODC, supported by the Australian Government.