REPORT TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE: GLOBAL FORUM V ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND SAFEGUARDIGN INTERITY:

INTRODUCTION

South Africa hosted the Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity from 2-5 April 2007 in JHB, under the theme: Fulfilling Our Commitments: Effective Action Against Corruption. The Forum attracted over 1000 participants including ministers, senior officials as well as representatives from government agencies dealing with governance, as well as representatives from NEPAD, UN and AU.

President Mbeki opened the conference, his keynote address can be summarised as follows: he emphasised the linkages between corruption and the persistence of poverty and inequality, widening of the gap between rich and poor. He said that corruption is inimical to pro-poor sustainable growth and development. Countries, especially African countries, are striving against the odds to attain the Millennium Development Goals and corruption places further obstacles in their path. In striving to achieve the Millennium Development Goals we must put into practice our traditional democratic communal values of humanity, ubuntu and ujamaa. Further, he went on to state: that the masses of people whom we represent, " will be entitled to ask of us what progress we have made in the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what we have done to fight corruption, which we well know hinders the realisation of the MDGs. They will be correct to inquire from us what we have agreed to do collectively in the fight against corruption so as to better enable us to deliver on our vision of a corruption free world."

REMARKS BY MINISTER GERALDINE FRASER MOLEKETI

- Corruption is a global problem. It is nothing new, nor is it peculiar to any particular context. It exists in greater or lesser degree in all countries of the world, irrespective of political and economic system, big or small, developed or developing.

- The impact of corruption is universal in nature. It impacts on investment, business growth and development, creates risks and uncertainty, distorts resource allocation, undermines democracy, exacerbates poverty and integrity and mistrust. Corruption does not promote development it distorts development

- Corruption is an insidious menace that breeds and increases injustice and poverty. It prevents development, undermines democracy and governance. Corruption prevents rule of law, distorts perpetuates social and economic deprivation and inequality, and leads to violation of basic constitutional and human rights.

- Corruption breeds crimes, social frustration, discontent and insecurity. It limits citizen’s access to basic public services. For South Africa, corruption is a key national challenge. Whatever way corruption is looked at, it is a key obstacle to development and poverty reduction. It increases social injustice and human security.

- Corruption includes theft, fraud, bribery, extortion, nepotism, patronage and the laundering of illicit proceeds. But we have come to an understanding that the broader interpretation of the concept of corruption also defines it relation to human rights, poverty and underdevelopment, and in relation to the siphoning of much valued resources from the provision of social services.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE

- Global Forum V showcased Africa's anti-corruption experiences.

- The fight against corruption is a key element of the African initiatives to eradicate poverty and to place African countries squarely on the path of sustainable growth and development.

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

The workshop/breakaway sessions dealt with a number of themes and sub-themes. These included the following:

1. Strengthening Actions for Effective Implementation of Anti-corruption Measures: Preconditions for Effective Implementation
2. Taking Stock through Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring the Prevalence of Corruption.
3. Setting the Stage for Non-state actors
4. Law Enforcement
5. Preventative Measures: A National Integrity System
6. Roundtable: Peer Review Mechanisms

- The delegates shared in practical experiences- both NGOs, academics and experts.

- Presentations provided participants with an overview and -information on integrity, causes and effects of corruption and practical experiences NGOS included Global Integrity, Transparency International and GRECO Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION THEME

- Participants stressed the importance of both measures to detect, investigate, and punish corruption and preventive measures as a tool to take systematic action against corruption. 

- Ensure the independence and the integrity of the judiciary; ensure the integrity and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies; promote and safeguard good governance, accountability, transparency, integrity and ethics in all sectors of society;

- Support the work of the media and civil society in preventing and detecting corruption.

- Recognize the importance of international cooperation in combating corruption participant’s recommend that countries, inter alia: 

1. Ratify and effectively implement as soon as possible, the already concluded    relevant conventions on anti- corruption measures; such as the UN Convention against corruption, the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the AU Anti- Corruption Convention. However, concern was expressed at the level of international cooperation and the need to move to action and implementation was strongly emphasised. It was further noted that over 50% of African countries had ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

- Codes of best practise, along the lines of the Revised Arusha Declaration, and publishing

- The workshop also identified the need for better engagement at a political level, to encourage high-level national support for practical integrity development. Political support remains vital in the fight against corruption and efforts aimed at promoting integrity.

- The importance of the values of integrity, morality and ethics, not only for governmental institutions, bureaucracy, and the private sector, but for the entire society is critical. If these values are inculcated into the whole framework of society, the individual, family, community and the nation are strengthened to counter corruption through the internalisation of a code of ethics and values.

- Preventing and combating corruption should not be conducted by countries in isolation, but that a collective approach is required, e.g. corrupt activities must be fought collectively at a transnational level through the sharing of anti-corruption good practice and exchange of information on policies, practices and measures as well as ways to strengthen co-operation.

Corruption lies in its ability to implicate, its complicity and its ability to violate the laws of nation states and flout international conventions and treaties. Through the presentations it is evident that losses accrue from a culture of permissiveness with respect to corruption and from corruption itself are more than monetary - the losses include a loss of revenue, loss of trust, loss of values, loss of credibility and legitimacy and a loss of the democratic ethos and impulse within institutions and organisations.

Under conditions of democracy, the state needs to take the lead in preventing, combating and eliminating corruption. The political cost of corruption is that it undermines democracy, weakens state institutions and undermines responsibility, accountability and legitimacy. Corruption alienates citizens from the very officials they have elected and also alienates people from each other. Corruption weakens democratic processes and public order.

RESOLUTIONS/ DECLARATION

1. It was also noted that the politicians must provide leadership in preventing and combating corruption, and that leadership has three main tasks, (i) to speak out against corruption, secondly, (ii) to provide adequate resources to agencies that deal with corruption and, (iii) to ensure that such agencies that have sufficient independence to take action against corruption.

2. The impact of corruption is universal in nature. It impacts on investment, business growth and development, creates risks and uncertainty, distorts resource allocation, undermines democracy, exacerbates poverty and integrity and mistrust. Corruption does not promote development it distorts development.

Preconditions for Anti-corruption measures

- Respect of human rights and freedoms,

- Real political will,

- Appropriate timing of measures,

- Appropriate situation assessment,

- Cooperation between the public and private sectors and civil society,

- Putting prevention before repression, using a graduated approach,

- Transparency and openness of measures.

- Also the political will to address the issue.

- Need to have access to government information.

CONCLUSION

- Participants express their solidarity and support to the anti corruption efforts, including safeguarding integrity, undertaken within the framework of the United Nations, and take note with appreciation of the various regional and other efforts undertaken.

- In their common pursuit of integrity, economic growth, and sustainable development, participants also reaffirm the call by government leaders, implementation of good governance practices, the promotion of integrity and ethics, and enforcement of anticorruption measures. 

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED WITH A DECLARATION.