Conference focuses on role ICT plays in fight against corruption across the Pacific

After a 3-day conference on Tackling Corruption in the Pacific, over 60 delegates from the region were able to agree that corruption is a pervasive issue that transcends borders and affects nations worldwide.

Discussions were focused on the role that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can play in the fight against corruption across the Pacific.

UNDP who hosted the conference in collaboration with the UK Development Fund and the European Union says corruption and promoting public transparency and accountability is central to any Government being able to fulfil its obligations to reduce poverty, sustain peace and ensure sustainable development.

Bringing together senior officials from across the region’s anti-corruption sector, alongside regional and international experts in the field of digitalization, the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji is leading the way in efforts to harness new approaches to combatting corruption.

With support from the Government of the United Kingdom, via the UNDP-implemented Pacific Anti-Corruption Project, UNDP Pacific is working across the region to improve public financial management and address corruption.

This approach includes using technology to assist in budget preparation, promoting the right to information and accountability, and strengthening anti-corruption institutions and civil society engagement in social transparency.

Acknowledging the gravity of this challenge, UNDP has been working with Pacific Island Countries to support their efforts to tackle corruption and promote public accountability and transparency for more than 15 years.

British High Commissioner, Dr Brian Jones says they can see all over the world the horrible consequences of money laundering and corruption as it hits the poorest people hardest and compounds harm on the most vulnerable, including women and girls in our communities.

Dr Jones says illicit funds are used to enable a whole range of threats, including funding serious organized crime - trafficking of narcotics and cyber attacks.

He says in the Pacific they are working to increase the flow of climate finance to help mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and as the use of mobile money for payments and remittances grows, so too does the risk that these areas can be exploited by criminal actors.

Munkhtuya Altangerel, Resident Representative, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, says while we must adapt and innovate to keep up with the relentless march of progress, we must also be cautious when it comes to digitalization and technology.

Altangrel says the digital revolution offers powerful tools to combat corruption, but these tools alone won't win the fight.

She says we need strong institutions, empowered citizens, and a commitment from Pacific Island nations to work together, and this conference offers the opportunity to forge a path toward a more transparent and accountable future in the Pacific.