AFRICAN BUZZ • cooperation between national and international institutions in the fight against corruption .
“ Let us challenge ourselves to use this opportunity to not only support Rwanda ’ s corruption prevention and fighting strategies , but also be the basis for continued collaboration between Anti-Corruption Agencies , the private sector , civil society organisations and international communities .”
She added that Anti-Corruption Agencies are leading institutions to fulfil the goals of sustainable development in partnership with other national , regional and international partners , calling on strong collaboration with all stakeholders .
In her welcoming address , the Commonwealth Secretary-General , the Rt . Hon . Patricia Scotland , said that tackling corruption must be a priority of the highest order because it undermines the ability of countries to deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth and social progress .
She said , “ Corruption goes beyond national boundaries and is global in nature . The secrecy in jurisdictions has further made anti-corruption work even more challenging . Co-operation and sharing of information are crucial in the tracking and recovery of assets . We must develop and work on simple mechanisms to recover ill-gotten assets lying in foreign jurisdictions . Collaborations must go beyond the anti-corruption agencies to the antimoney laundering agencies and tax authorities across the Commonwealth . We can win the war against corruption through collaboration , cooperation and through a whole-of-Commonwealth approach which harnesses transformative technologies .”
She noted that a Whole-Of- Commonwealth approach can be :
• Working together
• Learning from each other
• And collectively setting the highest possible standards .
“ I am eternally optimistic that , if we work together , and work well , Commonwealth Africa – and the Commonwealth as a whole – will sweep corruption aside and create the
www . africanmining . co . za lasting , positive space for sustainable development to thrive , and for people everywhere to flourish ,” the Secretary- General concluded .
A keynote address by the President of Rwanda , H . E . Paul Kagame , delivered by Dr . Edouard Ngirente , the Prime Minister of Rwanda , also echoed the call for collaboration , “ Several reports have indicated that global corruption is now costing around USD1-trillion annually . This has severe effects on the lives of our people . This cost is very high and continues to weaken the resilience of our communities .”
Billions lost to corruption annually With Africa losing over USD50-billion a year through illicit flows , equivalent to all annual official development assistance ( ODA ), the time for action against corruption has never been more urgent .
The Africa Growth Initiative notes that sub-Saharan Africa received nearly USD2- trillion in foreign direct investment ( FDI ) and ODA between 1980 and 2018 , but lost more than USD1-trillion to illicit financial outflows . When looking at the whole of Africa , that figure rises to USD1.3-trillion – enough money that could lift the 1.4 billion people living on less than USD1.25 per day out of poverty .
Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda , the conference , over the next few days , will offer delegates the opportunity to discuss the impacts of corruption on sustainable development , strategies and innovative approaches for combating corruption through sharing knowledge , good practices and success stories , and address key priorities towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 .
Around 200 delegates including members of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa , senior government officials , members of the diplomatic corps , international experts , relevant international organisations , policymakers , and development partners were attending the conference , which has been held annually since its inception in 2011 . •
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