Anti-Corruption Day 2023: Uniting The World Against Corruption

Saturday 9 December 2023 is International Anti-Corruption Day.

The 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development. Corruption not only follows conflict, but is also frequently one of its root causes. It fuels conflict and inhibits peace processes by undermining the rule of law, worsening poverty, facilitating the illicit use of resources, and providing financing for armed conflict.

Tackling corruption is the right and responsibility of everyone, and only through cooperation and the involvement of each and every person and institution can we build peace, security and development.

The 2023 IACD commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). This day is a celebration of the progress in the fight against corruption since it was initiated; and a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done.

For New Zealanders, International Anti-Corruption Day is a good day to be grateful for our strong integrity systems in New Zealand, including the rule of law, and public expectation of fairness and accountability. These help us to be resilient to corruption and to conflict.

Nevertheless corruption is occurring here, from within and without. Many New Zealanders have been the victim of all sorts of fraud, and tax fraud is reducing the public purse. We also have problems with individual corrupt business-people or individual public servants supporting criminal practice, or facilitating money laundering.

“Whilst we live in a country with comparatively low levels of corruption, our complacency makes us vulnerable to those wanting to use our ‘ease of business’ and good reputation to facilitate their wrongdoings,” Says Julie Haggie, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International New Zealand.

Anti-Corruption Day Reports

International Anti-Corruption Day coincides with the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. A new report published by Transparency International, Corruption Through a Gender Lens, examines the extent to which corruption in Asia Pacific is gendered and the interplay between gender inequality and corruption.

The report analyses the results of the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) Asia and Pacific 2020 and 2021 by applying a gender lens. Covering 17 countries and territories, the Pacific survey provides a first of its kind data on sextortion, which occurs when those entrusted with power use it to sexually exploit those dependent on that power.

Our blog post Corruption through a gendered lens in Fiji provides an overview of the report and summary of the Fijian findings.

On this Anti-Corruption Day 2023, The Institute of Internal Auditors New Zealand and Transparency International New Zealand released a video “Preventing fraud & corruption Call the Internal Auditor.” This video, based on a joint paper on the topic paper points to the burden corruption places on organisations and their stakeholders, the importance of leadership setting a strong tone for ethical behaviours and the valuable role the internal audit function provides in corruption prevention.

On 9 December and every day we need to stand #UnitedAgainstCorruption.

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