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“The government has launched a new anticorruption initiative for the public sector. The latest campaign, announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, is focused on preventing corruption by reinforcing monitoring on public systems. “Calling the new drive a ‘corruption vaccination’ program, Hwang said it represented a shift in the government’s anticorruption fight from exposure and punishment to surveillance and prevention.” More in The Korea Herald. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160114001034

India reportedly will spend upwards of $150 billion on weaponry in the next 10-15 years and is considering changes in procurement policy, including a 10-year ban on overseas companies found guilty of corruption. More from Vivek Raghuvanshi, in Defense News. http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/policy-budget/industry/2016/01/25/india-plans-procurement-policy-revisions/79053214/

"Clean governance will result in a sustainable economy. Corruption raises the costs for businesses and damages the fairness in investment and trading. In a healthy business environment, entrepreneurs will be able to focus on innovation and production, ensuring ideas, not connections, are rewarded." Read the Xinhua editorial. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/25/c_135044252.htm

Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive is gaining speed as large state-owned enterprises in sectors including finance and real estate come under the spotlight, putting executives as well as foreign companies operating in China on high alert. More from Tetsuya Abe, in Nikkei. http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Anti-corruption-drive-leaves-state-enterprises-shaken

Many delegates to Vietnam's 12th National Party Congress stressed the importance of anti-corruption efforts, saying that combating corruption requires the participation of the entire society to bring about greater change. More in Viet Nam News. http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/281667/party-delegates-call-for-anti-corruption-policies.html

[Facilitator’s note: Thank you to Annika Wythes, Luisa Senibulu, Samita Singh, and Mihaela Stojkoska of the joint UNDP-UNODC Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project for sharing these updates.] Cook Islands: MPs aim to combat corruption. Combating corruption is the focus at parliament this week with a special United Nations workshop being held to address the contentious issue. http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/56146-mps-aim-to-combat-corruption Legislators in the Cook Islands have committed to enhancing their oversight of anti-corruption activities. https://www.facebook.com/Islands-Business-290491571130816/?fref=nf Palau: Parliamentarians have a key role to play in preventing and fighting corruption, often leading by example. United Nations-Pacific Region Anti-Corruption Project Adviser Annika Wythes made the comment in Koror, Palau this week. https://www.facebook.com/Islands-Business-290491571130816/?fref=nf Nauru: Australian doc...

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission will ask for a review of a decision by the attorney general to clear Prime Minister Najib Razak in a graft investigation. More in Channel News Asia. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/malaysian-anti-graft-agen/2462616.html?cid=twtcna

Held 26-27 January 2016 in Bangkok and hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the event explored: examples of where corruption has been successfully tackled in other areas of governance and law enforcement, and how this could be applied to environmental crime; and, innovative ideas to bring justice to the fishery sector and how to best ensure the sustainability of the world's oceans into the future. More in UNODC. https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/event/arpec-2016.htm l

Investigations and intelligence software firm Wynyard Group has won a contract with the Thailand government that will see the New Zealand-based company assist with fighting public sector corruption in the country. More from Asha Barbaschow, in ZDNet. http://www.zdnet.com/article/wynyard-group-signs-thailands-anti-corruption-commission/

"In the global marketplace of ideas, the West – with its indices measuring democracy, openness, and equality – has the bully pulpit on governance." Read the essay by Asit K. Biswas and Kris Hartley, in The Diplomat. http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/open-data-and-good-governance-in-asia-playing-by-western-rules/

Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) wants additional powers and legislation to allow it to investigate the military because it believes lack of accountability in military spending can drive people towards extremist groups. More from Max Stainkamph, in Rappler. http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/indonesia/bahasa/englishedition/119879-kpk-corruption-report-ranking

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji's Attorney-General, has told officers at the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) that they should not abuse their powers, that the word 'FICAC' instills fear in some Fijians, and that officers have to be responsible with the powers vested in them. More in Radio New Zealand International. http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/294373/fiji-anti-corruption-agents-warned-not-to-abuse-their-powers

A new 3-year partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Thai Institute of Justice will emphasise close coordination with immediate neighbours to tackle the problem of human trafficking to Thailand. More in UNODC Southeast Asia and Pacific. https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/2016/01/human-trafficking-thailand/story.html

This paper highlights opportunities for mitigating REDD+ corruption risks in Vietnam through improving data availability and transparency, promoting national collaboration, enhancing participation and engagement, and improving monitoring and evaluation capabilities. More from Thu Ba Huynh, in U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre (Chr. Michelsen Institute). http://www.u4.no/publications/development-success-in-perspective-a-political-economy-of-redd-and-corruption-in-vietnam/

[Facilitator's note: Thank you to Elodie Beth, Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP, for sharing this information.] This case study details how UNDP, Ubon Ratchathani University, and Integrity Action are supplying young people in Thailand with knowledge, tools and skills to build integrity in their university and country, and reach out to their neighbours in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. More from Integrity Action. http://www.integrityaction.org/case-study/refuse-be-corrupt-cafe-undp-thailand

"Perception and reality are two very different things. How people perceive existing levels of corruption within a country or organisation, for example, frequently do not align with the actual occurrences of corruption. Perceptions of corruption and the reputation of individual countries are influenced by more than a code of conduct." More from Rachel Tiffen, in Public Finance International. http://www.publicfinanceinternational.org/opinion/2016/01/corruption-moving-beyond-obvious

Many of the problems with anti-corruption bodies around the world stem from their lack of power to prosecute, said Elnur Musayev, a senior prosecutor in Azerbaijan’s Anti-Corruption Department, and among29 anti-corruption officials from around the world undergoing training at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy as part of their Masters in Anti-corruption Studies programme. More from Robin Augustin, in Free Malaysia Today. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/01/20/issues-arise-when-anti-graft-bodies-lack-power-to-prosecute/

PNG's government needs to take the lead at the top level to put a stop to corrupt activities happening in the country, said Port Morseby and National Capital District governor Powes Parkop, adding that if the top is doing nothing in fighting corruption, then people down the line will be involved in corruption as well. More in Papua New Guinea Today. http://news.pngfacts.com/2016/01/ending-corruption-starts-at-top-parkop.html

"Over 22,000 public servants did not submit their property details for the last fiscal year to the concerned authorities as required by the Corruption Prevention Act 2002… The government officials’ failure to submit property details is a blatant disregard of law." More in The Kathmandu Post. http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-01-15/nothing-to-hide.html

A surge in socially responsible investments to $59 trillion globally over the past decade is nudging Asian firms to change a notoriously insular management style to one that actively addresses corporate governance concerns. More from Nichola Saminather and Viparat Jantraprap, in Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-investment-governance-idUSKCN0UX0IM

The Afghan government launched online enrollment for electronic passports in a bid to expedite and reduce corruption in the passport application process. More in Khaama Press. http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-to-launch-online-enrollment-for-e-passport-distribution-1989

Hong Kong SAR's Independent Commission Against Corruption received 18 percent more complaints of corruption from the public last year than in 2014, according to a report in Ming Pao Daily. More in EJ Insight. http://www.ejinsight.com/20160120-icac-receives-18pc-more-complaints-corruption/

[Facilitator's note: Thank you to Jakapop Adam, Project Coordinator, Anti-Corruption Initiative, UNDP Thailand, and Elodie Beth, Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP, for sharing this information.] My Fault , a short film made by first year students at the College of Social Communication Innovation, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, received a Certificate of Recognition from UNDP Thailand and UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific for outstanding youth contribution to anti-corruption efforts on International Anti-Corruption Day 2015 (9 December 2015). View the film with English subtitles: https://www.facebook.com/TYAnticorruption/videos/vb.325701554178757/931534326928807/?type=2&theater

[Facilitator's note: Thank you to Joy Aceron, Director, Government Watch, Ateneo School of Government, Philippines, for sharing this information.] This case study pertains to an assessment conducted by the Basel Institute on Governance, in collaboration with UNDP’s Global Anti-Corruption Initiative, of a social accountability monitoring project in the municipality of San Miguel, Bohol in the Philippines, involving the monitoring of agricultural subsidies and was developed and implemented by the Government Watch (G-Watch) programme of the Ateneo School of Government in the Philippines. More in Integrity Action. http://www.integrityaction.org/case-study/participatory-monitoring-improve-performance-government-services-and-promote-citizen

According to a Voice of America report, the perception of corruption in Afghanistan's judiciary allegedly leads citizens to turn to the Taliban to resolve their legal cases swiftly and with a lack of red tape. More from Hasib Danish Alikozai, in Voice of America. http://www.voanews.com/content/corruption-encourages-parallel-judiciary-afghanistan/3142316.html

China's military has set up 15 new units - including a dedicated auditing office, which will "organise and guide audits and supervision for the entire military" and strive to be independent -- as part of an ongoing drive to modernise the world's largest armed forces, the Defense Ministry said. More from Ben Blanchard, in Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/china-military-idUSKCN0UQ0CL20160112

Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Finance, said the country is taking concrete measures to increase transparency around taxation More from Mary Swire, in Tax-News. http://www.tax-news.com/news/Pakistan_Tackling_Corruption_In_Tax_Matters____70109.html

Drawing from best international practice, New Zealand’s Ministry of Justice has provided small, medium and large business organizations with practical advice on anti-corruption compliance, how to create a fraud and corruption policy and how to avoid falling foul of the new law on facilitation payments. More in Scoop. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1601/S00165/anti-corruption-advice-from-the-ministry-of-justice.htm

National Accountability Bureau Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has said that the anti-corruption watchdog has prosecuted the corrupt and recovered Rs265.12 billion since its inception, which is a record achievement. More in The Tribune Express. http://tribune.com.pk/story/1024977/nab-recovered-rs265-12b-since-inception-page-9/

"I’ve occasionally used this platform to complain about widely-repeated corruption statistics that appear to be, at best, unreliable guesstimates misrepresented as precise calculations—and at worst, completely bogus….I recognize that, in the grand scheme of things, made-up statistics and false precision are not that big a deal. After all, the anticorruption community faces 1,634 problems that are more important than false precision, and in any event 43% of all statistics quoted in public debates are completely made up. Yet my strong instincts are that we in the anticorruption community ought to purge these misleading figures from our discussions, and try to pursue not only the academic study of corruption, but also our anticorruption advocacy efforts, using a more rigorous and careful approach to evidence." More from Matthew Stephenson, in the Global Anticorruption Blog. http://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2016/01/12/assessing-corruption-do-we-need-a-number/

The Chinese Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog announced that it will now scrutinize the country's entire governing apparatus by fielding 47 inspection teams to watch over all 139 Party and state departments for any wrongdoing. More from Frank Fang and Larry Ong, in Epoch Times. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1936226-all-departments-in-chinese-regime-now-targeted-by-anti-corruption-investigators/

The Corruption Eradication Commission should handle large-scale money laundering cases instead of investigating corruption cases involving Rp200 million to Rp500 million, a chief security minister said. More in Antara News. http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/102396/anti-graft-body-urged-to-handle-large-scale-money-laundering-caseshttp://

According to a Radio Free Asia report, authorities in Laos have taken into custody a former finance minister and four colleagues in connection with a scheme in which private companies cashed government bonds issued in promise of payment for work they never performed. More in Radio Free Asia. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/corruption-01082016142933.html

According to a story in BusinessWire, citing an investigation by the non-profit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an official at the Japanese government-appointed agency that controls the country’s domestic ivory market advised an undercover investigator how to fraudulently register a tusk as legal and how to obstruct a potential police investigation. More in BusinessWire. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160111006054/en/EIA-Reveals-Japanese-Wildlife-Official-Promoted-Illegal

Awareness of vigilance measures is fundamental to prevent corrupt practices, said Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary, adding that vigilance procedures should be consistent, simplified, robust, and continuously tested. More in Zee News. http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/lack-of-awareness-about-vigilance-results-in-corruption-cvc_1842422.html

According to IR Magazine, Norges Bank Investment Management, which runs the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, will sell its stake in Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corporation and blacklist the company from future investments due to alleged corruption. More from Adam Brown, in IR Magazine. http://www.irmagazine.com/articles/buy-side/21179/worlds-largest-sovereign-wealth-fund-blacklists-zte-gross-corruption/?src=ilaw

"The recent controversy concerning Htoo Group’s provision of free-of-charge hotel facilities at their Shwe Sann Ein Hotel for training of National League for Democracy MPs-elect provoked a debate in our Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business office about businesses contributing to political parties and government." More from Vicky Bowman, in Myanmar Times. http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/opinion/18433-fine-line-between-foc-and-corruption.html

The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission and the Anti-Corruption of Bhutan have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation in anti-cooperation work. More in Kuensel. http://www.kuenselonline.com/working-together-against-a-common-enemy/

The National Accountability Bureau believes thatgoing after judiciary members will compromise the court’s independence whereas the armed forces have their own system of effectively checking corruption. More from Ansar Abbasi, in The News International. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/86951-NAB-shy-to-go-after-corrupt-generals-judges

"Since its inception in 2009, Bitcoin—a digital currency secured by encryption—has attracted attention, interest, and controversy. Less attention (at least until recently) has been paid to other applications of the underlying technology, 'blockchain,' that makes Bitcoin possible. And while the anonymity associated with Bitcoin is, if anything, often associated with illicit transactions in the 'dark web,' other applications of the blockchain technology might be used to enhance transparency and promote integrity. Some of the early proposals along these lines are indeed encouraging; at the same time, blockchain is not a technological panacea, and recognizing its limitations can identify areas that may require particular attention in anticorruption efforts." More from Jeanne Jeong, in the Global Anticorruption Blog. http://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2016/01/08/bitcoin-blockchain-and-land-reform-can-an-incorruptible-technology-cure-corruption/

Approximately 330 calls have been made to three national anti-corruption hotlines created for the public to report corruption 25 days ago, said the head of the Government Inspectorate Anti-Corruption Bureau. More in Viet Nam News. http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/280895/anti-corruption-hotline-receives-330-calls-so-far.html

"Justice Lodha Committee’s recommendation that if betting is legalised in India, it will reduce corruption in cricket in particular, and sports in general, is an extremely flawed and inconsistent conclusion." More from Alam Srinavas, in Scroll. http://scroll.in/article/801478/four-reasons-why-legalising-betting-will-not-reduce-corruption-in-cricket-or-sports-in-general

Taiwan's Supreme Court upheld a ruling sentencing a former Tainan prosecutor to 20 years in prison for corruption and bribery, bringing an end to the case of the man described as one of the nation’s most corrupt prosecutors. More from Jason Pan, in Taipei Times. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/01/01/2003636185

Myanmar's parliamentary joint committee on the 2016 tax bill said that the taxation of incomes that cannot show sources needs to be abolished since it can encourage money laundering. More in Eleven Myanmar. http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/politics/mps-warn-money-laundering-loophole

19 January 2016 Today's top story Global: Corruption in military defence spending could be behind rise in Africa terror attacks Time (TI mention) A series of recent terror attacks across Africa have raised fears of a new wave of extremist violence. Terrorism analysts have posited that al-Qaeda is vying for attention and territory with upstart ISIS in a region rife with instability. But as much as terrorist groups thrive on government weakness, military corruption also plays an important role, according to a new report on corruption in military defense spending in Africa. ...

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