THE UNITED NATIONS PACIFIC REGIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN THE PACIFIC

THE UNITED NATIONS PACIFIC REGIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN THE PACIFIC

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The United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project is assisting Pacific Island countries (PICs) to strengthen their national integrity systems, promote ‘clean’ governments, and create an enabling environment to increase trade, business, investment and sustainable development in the region.

Jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with generous resource support provided by the Government of Australia, the Project aims to enhance the delivery of equitable and high-quality technical assistance to countries in the Pacific.

Phase I of the Project began in 2012 and was followed by Phase II, which started in 2016 and will continue until mid-2021. In response to COVID-19, the team has developed a strategy for Phase III, scheduled to begin in 2021, which both builds on the

achievements to date and recognizes new opportunities and challenges.

Our stakeholders include governments, parliamentarians, civil society organizations, including groups focused on youth, women and persons with disabilities, media, private sector organizations, academia and vocational training institutions, and regional and international organizations, such as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

The objective of this brochure is threefold. Firstly, it outlines UN-PRAC’s analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the fight against corruption and how this is impacting the Pacific. Secondly, it stresses the synergies between UN-PRAC and the “Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response”. Lastly, it sets out some key achievements of the Project so far and focus areas going forwards in this COVID-19 era.

UN-PRAC is headquartered in Suva, Fiji, and operates in all 14 PICs (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) and the territory of Tokelau.

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Corruption and COVID-19 COVID-19 is the ‘greatest challenge of our age’.1 It has demonstrated our global fragility and has proven to be not just a health crisis, but a multi-faceted socioeconomic and governance crisis.

In the health sector, COVID-19 has revealed serious corruption vulnerabilities related to service delivery, emergency policy-making, procurement processes and management of funds (including emergency health funds, social safety nets and stimulus packages). This is most evident for those with limited access to healthcare services, as corruption presents a barrier to valuable, lifesaving resources, including medical equipment and

facilities, which disproportionately affects the poor, vulnerable and marginalized in society.

Under the emergency COVID-19 circumstances, some countries have also relaxed safeguards on transparency, oversight and accountability mechanisms, and limited open access to data. There has also been a tendency to withhold information and suspend measures designed for constructive engagement of multiple stakeholders in various governance processes.

These developments have become especially prevalent in countries with weak governance institutions, limited supervision and enforcement, low levels of social capital and compliance, and a lack of trust in government institutions.

As indicated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), the health effects of the virus are just the beginning.2 The World Bank has predicted that up to 60 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty while remittance flows, which since 2019 are the largest source of capital inflows to low and middle-income countries, will drop by around 20 per cent.3 Economic recovery, along with health security and stability, must be one of our highest priorities when addressing the impact of the virus in the Pacific.4 As corruption is clearly a major impediment to economic recovery and stability, as well as to trade and investment going forward, UN-PRAC is committed to continuing to support PICs to prevent and fight corruption and therefore

1 United Nations Secretary-General, “Secretary-General’s remarks to the World Health Assembly”, May 18, 2020. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/ statement/2020-05-18/secretary-generals-remarks-the-world-health-assembly-bilingual-delivered-scroll-down-for-english-and-french-version.

2 DFAT, “Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s Covid-19 Development Response”, 2020. https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/partnerships-for-recoveryaustralias-covid-19-development-response.pdf, p. 2.

3 World Bank, “Understanding Poverty”, 2020. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview; World Bank, “World Bank Predicts Sharpest Decline of Remittances in Recent History” 22 April, 2020. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/04/22/world-bank-predicts-sharpest-decline-ofremittances-in-recent-history.

4 DFAT, above n.2, p.2.

4 maximize positive results to address economic rescue and recovery efforts.

Corruption knows no geographical boundaries. Corruption leads to failures in governance, poor functioning of institutions, and hinders economic and social development, which will now be further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.5 It is already recognized that corruption negatively impacts economic growth, slows down the flow of foreign direct investments and distorts tax revenues.6 In 2018, corruption was estimated to cost the world $USD 2.6 trillion, or 5 per cent of the global gross domestic product.7 COVID-19 is providing ample room for new and existing forms of corruption to flourish.

There is little doubt that this increase in

corruption will exacerbate the economic damage that the virus is already causing and make it harder for PICs to recover.

Emergency responses during COVID-19 have required governments to rapidly outlay large amounts of funding to procure essential resources and services. This can lead to bypassing of the usual checks and balances required for transparency, accountability and oversight, as governments and other buyers trade their usual procurement methods in favor of receiving urgent goods and services. While this can affect all products, it is particularly dangerous in terms of goods and services required to combat the virus, because the checks and balances usually in place provide both value for money and quality

assurance, as well as ensure that funds are not diverted.

It is clear that COVID-19 is not only a health crisis, but also a major economic, societal and governance crisis, threatening to reverse development gains achieved over the last 20 years.

Corruption has already been worsening the socio-economic implications of COVID-19 by, for example, affecting economic recovery packages and diverting subsidies intended for the poor.8 It has also become evident that the end of the COVID-19 crisis will not put an end to corruption risks.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the COVID-19 immediate health response and socio-economic recovery

5 Gil-Pareja, S., Llorca-Vivero, R. and Martínez-Serrano, J. (2019), “Corruption and international trade: a comprehensive analysis with gravity”, Applied Economic Analysis, Vol. 27 No. 79, pp. 3-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEA-06-2019-0003.

6Mauro, P. (1995), “Corruption and growth”, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 110 No. 3, pp. 681-712. http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~kslin/macro2009/ Mauro%201995.pdf ; Wei, S. (2000), “How taxing is corruption on international investors”, Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 82 No. 1, pp. 1-11. https:// econpapers.repec.org/article/tprrestat/v_3a82_3ay_3a2000_3ai_3a1_3ap_3a1-11.htm; Mauro, P. (1998), “Corruption and the composition of government expenditure”, Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 69 No. 2, pp. 263-279. http://darp.lse.ac.uk/PapersDB/Mauro_(JPubE_98).pdf.

7 United Nations, “Global Cost of Corruption at Least 5 Per Cent of World Gross Domestic Product, Secretary-General Tells Security Council, Citing World Economic Forum Data”, September 10, 2018. https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13493.doc.htm.

8 UNODC, “Accountability and the Prevention of Corruption”, 2020. https://www.unodc.org/documents/Advocacy-Section/COVID-19_and_Anti-Corruption-2. pdf.

5 measures, it is imperative that corruption risks are addressed and integrated across sectors and governance structures during the crisis itself, in the socio-economic impact analysis and in the specific socio-economic measures in the post-COVID-19 phase.

Corruption risks are also prevalent in the distribution of foreign aid and assistance.

For countries already largely dependent on foreign aid, this is of particular concern, especially if the needed funds intended to fight the pandemic in affected countries are diverted into the hands of corrupt individuals. There are multiple examples from previous health emergencies and natural disasters of money being disbursed to individuals rather than organizations, duplicated

payments for supplies, disregard of procurement procedures, and patients being charged for health services and medicines already paid for by international donors.9

COVID-19 and the Pacific While many PICs are yet to report their first cases of COVID-19, they are already strongly affected by its collateral socio-economic impact. This is further compounded by natural catastrophes such as the recent Cyclone Harold, as well as existing and new governance challenges.

In terms of medical preparedness, most PICs do not have robust health systems

and lack key medical infrastructure, such as intensive care units.10 PICs are highly dependent on imports, which may lead to shortages in medical supplies, food and other necessary goods, and these shortages may lead to profiteering and inflated prices for essential goods, as well as parallel and black markets often run by organized criminal groups.11 While many commentators have advocated that the best way to protect the Pacific is to close borders and stop the virus from reaching PICs in the first place, the Pacific is still vulnerable to transmission of the virus through foreign commercial fishing and other activity, and Pacific governments are being warned to put urgent Covid-19 safety measures in place at ports as a key potential point of transmission.12

9 U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre “U4 Brief: Ebola and corruption: Overcoming critical governance challenges in a crisis situation”, March 2015. https:// www.cmi.no/publications/file/5522-ebola-and-corruption.pdf.

10 Eliasaf, Ben, and Daweena Tia Motwany. “Why 15 Countries Still Haven’t Reported Any Cases of Covid-19.” The Interpreter, April 14, 2020. https://www. lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-15-countries-still-haven-t-reported-any-cases-covid-19.

11 Dr Te’o Fairbairn. (1994) “Pacific Islands Economies: Trade Patterns and Some Observations on Trade Policy Issues”, trade and environment, September 25, https://nautilus.org/trade-and-environment/pacific-islands-economies-trade-patterns-and-some-observations-on-trade-policy-issues-4/; Coke Hamilton, Pamela.

“COVID-19 and Food Security in Vulnerable Countries.” United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, April 14, 2020. https://unctad.org/en/pages/ newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=2331.

12 ‘Foreign fishing boats emerge as a new point of Covid-19 transmission in the Pacific’ One News, May 26, 2020. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/ foreign-fishing-boats-emerge-new-point-covid-19-transmission-in-pacific-v1.

6 The narrow economic base of most PICs has resulted in an economic shock from the impact of COVID-19. While the closing of borders is an effective method of keeping the virus out, the Pacific’s reliance on tourism has already seen a large-scale economic downturn with many Pacific Islanders losing their jobs or experiencing a reduction in working hours. Border closures have also affected many PICs’ reliance on seasonal labour mobility to Australia and New Zealand.13 Moreover, remittances are vital in supporting PICs with limited domestic industries; in Samoa and Tonga, these make up around 18% and 40% of GDP respectively.14 Additionally, PICs have a narrow export sector and a high dependence on imports. With

a narrow resource base, PICs rely on imports for food, fuel, equipment and industrial material, as well as a wide range of manufactured products. This is particularly the case for small countries in the Pacific, such as Kiribati and Tuvalu, whose small land areas mean their agricultural and industrial potential is limited. Currently, Australia is the leading source of supply followed by France, the United States, Japan and New Zealand.15 These challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, are further complicated by the PICs’ specificities and dynamics, including their size and physical remoteness, and set of development challenges and vulnerabilities, including with regard to

security and governance. In addition, climate change and environmental disasters exacerbate the risk to trade and investment in the Pacific.

The economic shock of COVID-19 is likely to further increase the Pacific’s reliance on foreign aid. The Pacific is already the most aid-dependent region in the world. When measured in aid inflows as a proportion of GDP, over US$2 billion was distributed in foreign aid each year from 2011 to 2017 in the Pacific; equal to approximately 6.5% of the region’s GDP.16 It is crucial now more than ever to ensure that these funds are not diverted from their intended purpose and are used in a transparent, accountable and efficient manner.

13 Ackman, Murray, and Tautalasso Taulealo. “Covid-19 and Pacific Labour.” The Interpreter, April 15, 2020. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/covid19-and-pacific-labour; This is also likely to affect fruit and vegetable supply and cost in Australia, with a large number of farm workers coming from the Pacific (from 2018-19, it was estimated that 12,000 Pacific Islanders and citizens of Timor-Leste worked on Australian farms for up to six months as part of Australia’s Seasonal Worker Programme). Hunt, David. “Why closing our borders to foreign workers could see fruit and vegetable prices spike”, The Conversation, March 31, 2020. https://theconversation.com/why-closing-our-borders-to-foreign-workers-could-see-fruit-and-vegetable-prices-spike-134919.

14 Ackman and Taulealo, above n.13.

15 Fairbairn, above n.10 16 Lowy Institute (2020), ‘Pacific aid map’. https://pacificaidmap.lowyinstitute.org/.

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How UN-PRAC aligns with “Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response” UN-PRAC is clearly aligned with two of the three target areas of the “Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response,” specifically: stability and economic recovery, noting that health is the third target.

Stability - invest in partner country efforts to tackle corruption and improve law and justice Under “stability,” it was noted that “[w] hen poverty and inequality grow— as seems inevitable in the wake of this pandemic—this can exacerbate

17 DFAT, above n.2, p.11.

18 Ibid, p. 12.

pre-existing societal tensions and provide fertile ground for illicit, criminal and terrorist networks to become established. We will invest in partner country efforts to tackle corruption and improve law and justice”17.

This aligns with UN-PRAC’s goals, including the focus on interventions that promote social cohesion and stability.

UN-PRAC has already circulated guidance on actions that can be taken in the mid-term to guard against corruption during the pandemic and will assist PICs with implementing those recommendations. A recent request came from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) to hold a workshop on public procurement in the post COVID-19 world. UN-PRAC will also soon launch a survey on the oversight mechanisms for economic relief/ rescue/ stimulus measures during COVID-19.

Economic recovery – corruption as an impediment to trade and investment Under “economic recovery,” Australia will “support policy-making that promotes economic response and recovery efforts, private sector resilience, open markets and supply chains, improved livelihoods and inclusive growth. We will assist efforts to manage COVID-19’s economic impact on long-term poverty reduction and sustainable growth.18 The Trade Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is currently concluding its inquiry into Australia activating greater trade and investment with Pacific island countries to which UN-PRAC made a submission and was called to attend a hearing. Their interest was in how UN-PRAC provides assistance to efforts aimed at mitigating

8 the major impediment that corruption poses to trade and investment.

While there are many reasons that corruption and poor governance affect trade, one key reason is the disruption in competition caused by criminal behaviours such as bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation, trading in influence and abuse of functions.

While in a functioning economy, competition ensures that consumers get the best-value product in terms of quality and price, situations where corruption is the norm means that there is no longer competition in price and quality, as only those who can pay bribes are able to enter and compete in the market.

In addition, when considering the effects that corruption can have when significant amounts of public expenditure are diverted away from essential services, such as in healthcare and education, these services may be rendered

completely ineffective or they may need to rely on international assistance to function.

Given that efficient and transparent services are one of the best corruption prevention instruments, UN-PRAC has been exploring innovative partnerships with different actors on promoting transparent and accountable provision of services. In the context of COVID-19, UN-PRAC is currently strengthening its private sector engagement regarding social good campaigning to promote responsible citizenry, and transparent and needs-based services in selected critical services.

With the recognition that effective and accountable governance systems and processes underpin progressive socio-economic change, UN-PRAC is integrating an anti-corruption analysis into the UN’s socio-economic impact analysis in the Pacific across the pillars of

the UN Framework for Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19.19 Related steps include: an assessment of the overall impact of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption on policies and processes, institutions and the overall enabling environment for transparency, accountability and openness; an assessment of the corruption risks in procurement processes, service delivery, health and emergency funds, and social safety nets and economic stimulus packages; and the integration of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption in the socio-economic response.20 In long-term efforts towards building resilient institutions and reducing vulnerability to a future crisis, strategic anti-corruption efforts remain critical.

This includes: the need for continued strengthening of anti-corruption and other integrity institutions; a clear focus on improving oversight and

19 United Nations, “A UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19”, June 2020. https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/ UN-framework-for-the-immediate-socio-economic-response-to-COVID-19.pdf 20 UNDP Global Team, “Integrating Transparency, Accountability and Anti-Corruption in Socio-Economic Impact Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic”, June 4, 2020. Not published.

9 accountability mechanisms; promoting social accountability; finding ways for a reinvigorated involvement of civil society, media, youth and vulnerable groups; strengthening business integrity; and using technology and innovation to enhance transparency and openness.

UN-PRAC’s support to PICs While UN-PRAC has a key role in building political will and advocacy for addressing corruption, for 2020 and beyond, the focus is on implementing prevention and effective change. This includes assisting countries to address new and existing corruption risks during and beyond this pandemic.

The objectives of UN-PRAC are threefold: 1. Support PICs accession to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and support Pacific States parties to actively participate in the UNCAC review process.

UNCAC, the only legal binding universal anti-corruption instrument, covers the four main areas of prevention, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation and asset recovery. The obligations set for States

parties in UNCAC provide the building blocks for effectively preventing and fighting corruption. It is vital that countries continue to meet their obligations under UNCAC to address corruption in the new COVID-19 world.

SOME KEY UNCAC ARTICLES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Under UNCAC, each State party shall: ARTICLE 5 (3) Endeavor to periodically evaluate relevant legal instruments and administrative measures with a view to determining their adequacy to prevent and fight corruption ARTICLE 10 (b) Take such measures as may be necessary to enhance transparency in its public administration, including with regard to its organization, functioning and decision-making processes, where appropriate. Such measures may include, inter alia: (b) Simplifying administrative procedures, where appropriate, in order to facilitate public access to the competent decisionmaking authorities

ARTICLE 9 (2) Take appropriate measures to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public finances [which] shall encompass, inter alia: (c) A system of accounting and auditing standards, and related oversight; (d) Effective and efficient systems of risk management and internal control ARTICLE 13 (1) Take appropriate measures … to promote the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector … by such measures as: (a) Enhancing the transparency of and promoting the contribution of the public to decision-making processes; (b) Ensuring that the public has effective access to information

10 As of February 2020, all 14 PICs had acceded to UNCAC, and all 14 are participating in the mechanism for the review of implementation of UNCAC (UNCAC Review Mechanism). At the moment, most PICs are undergoing the second cycle of the UNCAC Review Mechanism, which focuses on prevention and asset recovery.

Recommendations from the first cycle on criminalization, law enforcement and international cooperation are being implemented by PICs with UN-PRAC support.

In supporting UNCAC implementation, UN-PRAC further assists PICs in working towards meeting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which they are obliged to implement under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Particular focus is placed on SDG 16 which, while being a critical goal in its own right in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, is a key enabling goal for meeting all sustainable development targets.

UN-PRAC focuses on supporting PICs to meet the following key targets envisaged by SDG 16: 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all 16.4 By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

UN-PRAC will be working on the development of a guidance note on integrating anti-corruption into the sustainable development planning and

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels 16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

programming efforts in PICs. This will be anchored to the Agenda 2030 at the national and regional levels.

UN-PRAC will be working on the

11 development of a guidance note on integrating anti-corruption into the sustainable development planning and programming efforts in PICs. These will be anchored to the 2030 Agenda 2030 at national and regional levels.

2. Support PICs to strengthen their national anti-corruption legislation and policies, as well as institutional frameworks and capabilities to effectively implement UNCAC.

National Anti-Corruption Strategies UN-PRAC works with PICs to develop and strengthen National Anti-Corruption Strategies (NACS). For the successful implementation of UNCAC and the SDGs, Pacific nations need to take ownership of policy interventions and implementation plans. To this end, UNPRAC supported Kiribati’s stewardship of the Pacific Leaders Anti-Corruption Conference in February 2020, which

resulted in the action-oriented Teienewa Vision. The Teienewa Vision remains a strong rallying document and entry point for Pacific Leaders’ commitment to anticorruption, even in this COVID-19 era.

Last year, UN-PRAC supported PICs in developing and implementing their NACS, including by: supporting the National Workshop for the Development and Implementation of a NACS for the Federated States of Micronesia; supporting Kiribati in the development of

12 its NACS to which the Government has currently implemented 70%; assisting in the review of Papua New Guinea’s AntiCorruption Action Plan; and facilitating the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Validation Workshop in Tuvalu. Vanuatu has also completed its National AntiCorruption Policy and Strategy with UN-PRAC support and is awaiting the endorsement of the Council of Ministers.

UN-PRAC also recently reviewed the extension of the Solomon Islands’ NACS and also received a request from the Cook Islands to support it in developing its NACS. It is now more important than ever that PICs have strong NACS that consider existing and new corruption risks brought about by COVID-19. UN-PRAC is continuing to support PICs in developing and implementing their NACS through a whole-of-society approach to ensure the involvement of non-State actors, including civil society organizations, parliamentarians, the private sector, media and youth.

Legislative Reform UN-PRAC works with all PICs to establish, review and implement anticorruption laws. For example, UN-PRAC supported the drafting of the right to information (RTI) legislation and policy and helped establish the RTI Unit in Vanuatu. UN-PRAC then worked with the RTI Unit and Transparency International Vanuatu on community outreach, explaining to communities what RTI is and how they can benefit from it.

Vanuatu’s RTI reform has been hailed as a success amongst ni-Vanuatu and also with many PICs indicating a preference to use Vanuatu’s laws as a model for their own. Since then, UN-PRAC has helped with the drafting of RTI legislation for Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and has reviewed the Federated States of Micronesia’s Freedom of Information Bill.

In addition to RTI, UN-PRAC has worked on numerous other legislative issues, including the Solomon Islands’ Anti-

Corruption Bill, Papua New Guinea’s Independent Commission Against Corruption Bill, as well as various whistleblower protection legislation such as in the Federated States of Micronesia and Kiribati.

In times of COVID-19, it is crucial that PICs have strong anti-corruption legislation in place that can be relied upon to prevent and address corruption.

It is also integral that countries are proactive in implementing legislation, such as RTI, that will enable the media and members of the public to access information held by public bodies, therefore empowering civil society to ensure that there is trust in the government by holding it to account in these difficult times.

Strengthening Institutional Frameworks and Capacities UN-PRAC has played an important role in conducting and assisting with trainings on various governance and anti-

13 corruption topics throughout the Pacific.

For example, UN-PRAC conducted a training on investigating and prosecuting money-laundering cases in the North Pacific and Papua New Guinea, and established exchanges between Financial Intelligence Units of Fiji and the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

In addition, UN-PRAC is currently developing information and training resource materials on anti-money laundering and forestry crimes in the Pacific, with a focus on Melanesian countries. Technical support is also being provided by UN-PRAC to the authorities in the Republic of the Marshall Islands for developing measures to counter money-laundering and combat the financing of terrorism with their two main domestic commercial banks. These efforts will also provide additional safeguards in the context of COVID-19 crisis and related socioeconomic recovery efforts.

While many trainings and conferences were planned for 2020, such as regional and national RTI workshops in Papua

New Guinea, a youth democracy camp in Papua New Guinea and an anti-money-laundering training in Fiji, UN-PRAC is now shifting to an online training platform in the Pacific, where appropriate, and until such time as these events and many others can be held in person once the restrictions are lifted.

3. Support the demand side of accountability, primarily through a stronger engagement of nonState actors in the prevention of corruption and in the design of tools for a more transparent service delivery.

UN-PRAC takes a whole-of-society approach to corruption and assists civil society organizations – including women and youth groups, the media and the private sector – in their efforts to prevent and fight corruption in all its forms.

In recognition of the COVID-19 risks, UN-PRAC has been receiving requests for refresher trainings and assistance to youth groups from the Pacific, based on the Youth Anti-Corruption Toolkit developed by UN-PRAC.

Private sector Technical trainings are being provided to Pacific national private sector organizations on improving their internal governance systems, and in building their capacities in keeping governments accountable, together with civil society organizations.

Since 2019, trainings have been undertaken in Samoa, Niue, Fiji, Kiribati and Palau, with a focus on online training for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. Trainings have been facilitated with affiliate members of the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organization at the country level, which included code of conduct workshops in Fiji, Niue and Samoa. Both Niue and Samoa subsequently adopted the codes of conduct developed in those workshops.

UN-PRAC will be releasing a toolkit in the coming weeks in collaboration with the Fiji Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC), FICAC and the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission

14 to assist women who own micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses in preventing corruption specific to their work in Fiji. Given the move to at-home work and expedited delivery timelines, UN-PRAC is also addressing requests for updating codes of conduct and operations to prevent corrupt behaviors in these new modes of working.

Media Similarly, technical training for the media has also addressed internal governance challenges along with upskilling investigative reporting to make both traditional government funding along with expedited COVID-19 interventions accountable and transparent. Since 2019, dedicated training has been undertaken with national media organizations regionally and in Samoa, Niue, Kiribati and Palau. UN-PRAC has also worked with the Pacific Islands News Association to establish the Pacific Anti-Corruption Network of Journalists.

The first online training will soon be piloted with the Network.

Academic and vocational trainings A key success in UN-PRAC’s approach is to mainstream anti-corruption into existing government and societal programmes.

UN-PRAC is working with the University of the South Pacific to develop a standalone anti-corruption course to be rolled out in 2021. UN-PRAC also partnered with the Australia Pacific Training Coalition to develop joint anti-corruption education programmes to be embedded as a core component of training in vocational fields and the Coalition’s leadership course for managers.

UN-PRAC has further been working with Ministries of Education and policy officers across the Pacific to integrate anti-corruption into the educational curricula. In 2019, UN-PRAC facilitated peer-to-peer learning and knowledgesharing with FICAC, sharing its journey of piloting Fiji’s National Anti-Corruption Curriculum (at the primary and secondary levels) during in-country workshops in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu.

UN-PRAC is currently reviewing FICAC’s pilot curriculum, which will be rolled out across Fiji in the second half of 2020 with UN-PRAC support.

Youth The impact of COVID-19 on young people, and in particular of its deep economic impact, will be felt for decades to come. It will reduce employment opportunities, for example, with the tourism industry in the Pacific – a major employer of young people – suffering great losses in revenue due to border closures. Additionally, lockdowns have led to school closures requiring students to continue their education at home, putting the vulnerable at a severe disadvantage where they are unable to access energy, technology or networks.

Some countries in the Pacific have also reported a disproportionate number of youth being arrested and fined by police for breaching curfews and other lockdown measures.21

21 “Impact of Covid-19 could be felt for years to come - Fiji youth leader”, RNZ, May 1, 2020. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/415542/impact-ofcovid-19-could-be-felt-for-years-to-come-fiji-youth-leader.

15 In recognition of youth as “game changers” and key “influencers”, UNPRAC and the Pacific Youth Council established the Pacific Youth Forum Against Corruption (PYFAC), a network of young people that has become a prominent actor in the governance dynamics of respective countries. For example, PYFAC Solomon Islands was one of the active stakeholders in the civic movement that resulted in the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Bill in 2018. It also facilitated leadership integrity debates in the pre-election period, based on the Youth AntiCorruption Advocates Toolkit developed

by UN-PRAC. In 2019, UN-PRAC also supported PYFAC to participate at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat’s “Young Leader’s Dialogue on Good Governance and Human Rights,” which included the PYFAC Anti-Corruption Exhibition Booth, and to participate on a panel at the “Pacific Unity Against Corruption” special event as part of the Conference of States Parties to UNCAC in December.

22 DFAT, above. 2, p.2.

UN-PRAC also conducted the Regional Youth Leadership and Anti-Corruption Training in 2019, together with the University of the South Pacific Students Association. This included 19 students from Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Vanuatu (including one from the Fiji National University).

Youth champions trained by UN-PRAC, notably through PYFAC, have further become a pillar of their national integrity institutions. For example, a PYFAC member works in the Office of the Prime Minister in the Solomon Islands on anticorruption and another PYFAC member is in the RTI Unit in Vanuatu.

Vulnerable groups

The pandemic will exacerbate the inequalities and hardships faced by already vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. People with disabilities already face multiple levels of exclusion.

They will be particularly vulnerable as health and other social services are disrupted.22

UN-PRAC is cognizant that gender equality and anti-corruption are mutually reinforcing concepts, and therefore seizes many opportunities to take a gender-sensitive approach in its anticorruption efforts.

In this context, supporting women to become leaders in anti-corruption advocacy has been a key focus of UNPRAC. In addition to the collaboration with WEBC on the anti-corruption toolkit discussed earlier, UN-PRAC supports women to gain knowledge of anticorruption and leadership and become proactively involved in advancing the anti-corruption agenda. For example, UN-PRAC supported two women anticorruption champions from the Pacific to participate in the Expert Meeting on Gender and Corruption in Bangkok, Thailand. This workshop was aimed at building a stronger platform for activities focused on integrating gender and corruption in the Pacific. UN-PRAC also supported the “Tonga Talanoa Camp: Engaging Young Women in Political and Public Space”, which aimed to empower

16 women to become leaders and increase their confidence; with UN-PRAC’s support, this focused on the integrity element of leadership.

UN-PRAC has worked with the Pacific Disability Forum to raise awareness of UNCAC and review the existing code of conduct for the organization. Following the 2019 session, the Forum indicated that they would review their current code of conduct and requested that similar sessions be conducted for their affiliate members in 2020.

Shift from ‘Why’ to ‘How’ Over the past few years, the debate has progressed from ‘why’ countries should prevent and fight corruption to

‘how’ they should do it. The COVID-19 pandemic is escalating the need to ramp up anti-corruption measures in order to protect PICs from the economic damage and other social harm that an increase in new and existing forms of corruption will create.

UNCAC and SDG 16 provide a solid basis upon which PICs can develop sustainable anti-corruption reforms.

It is for this reason that UN-PRAC is anchored to these instruments, which complement whole-of-government development efforts in responding to COVID-19. This includes leveraging PICs’ recognition of the UN as a trusted, impartial partner. A medium by which PICs have been addressing the ‘how’ question is through the UNCAC Review Mechanism. This requires States parties

This publication was prepared by the United Nations Pacific Regional AntiCorruption (UN-PRAC) Project, a joint initiative by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the Australian Government

to consider what national legislative, institutional and practical frameworks exist to effectively address corruption.

While continuing the work related to the UNCAC Review Mechanism, UN-PRAC aims to further partner with governments and non-State actors on specific activities that promote integrity and accountable service delivery in order to build PICs’ longer-term resilience.

By focusing on fighting and preventing corruption, and ensuring that governments and civil society are aware of the new corruption risks that the pandemic has created, UN-PRAC is translating into practice the vision of DFAT for a stable, prosperous and resilient Pacific.