Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (7 September 2019): PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa

-

PNG:

Paladin's 'high risk' contract with Peren had no corruption oversight.  Home Affairs failed to adequately scrutinise politically connected sub-contractors used by its Manus Island service provider, Paladin, amid concerns from the department's own internal auditor that fraud and corruption controls were lacking.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/paladin-s-high-risk-contract-with-peren-had-no-corruption-oversight-20190903-p52new  

Lack of transparency in public administration.  Lack of transparency in public administration continues to be a problem. This is why TI PNG is extending its legal work to other parts of the country to address this issue. The program offers free legal services for victims and witnesses of corruption.  

https://postcourier.com.pg/lack-transparency-public-administration/

 

SOLOMON ISLANDS:

Beijing offers development fund if Solomon Islands breaks diplomatic ties with Taipei.  “It is not a secret that China is the most assertive donor nation offering funding and development assistance that exploit governance gaps in countries with weak or corrupt structures, and makes the gaps wider,” [Transparency Solomon Islands] said in a statement last month.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3025816/beijing-offers-development-fund-if-solomon-islands-breaks

 

VANUATU:

Resource Alert: Ranking AML/CFT risks around the world.  A big problem, it seems, is that when it comes to [anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT)], technical compliance and effectiveness rarely go hand in hand. Take the Pacific offshore jurisdiction of Vanuatu. Its AML/CFT system meets most of the FATF’s recommendations at a technical level. This means the required laws and institutions are in place.

https://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2019/9/4/resource-alert-ranking-amlcft-risks-around-the-world.html

 

SAMOA:

'The silence is suffocating': family abuse 'epidemic' uncovered in Samoa. “A lot of the other organisations, because they’re part of the government, are tainted by corruption. They can’t really speak out,” said Maluseu Doris Tulifau, a survivor of domestic violence.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/sep/03/family-abuse-epidemic-uncovered-in-samoa

 

To know more about the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project please contact the team members:

Annika Wythes, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNODC, annika.wythes@un.org

Maria Lee, Peace & Development Administrative Assistant, UNDP/UNODC, maria.lee@undp.org

Popular posts from this blog

The Pacific - Nepal - Eastern Europe & Central Asia

-
[Blog] How are perceptions of corruption in seven small Pacific countries? Larger Pacific Island neighbors are often garnering the lion's share of attention both from researchers and policy makers. How are the experiences of corruption in countries like Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), The Cook Islands, Palau, and Nauru? DevPolicy Blog: https://devpolicy.org/perceptions-of-corruption-in-seven-small-pacific-island-countries-20230223/   [Opinion] Two decades of new anti-corruption law in Nepal: Why it missed its mark. According to a Nepalese journalist, the Anti-Corruption law and Prevention of Corruption act of 2002 laid the foundation for numerous investigations, scandals, and court cases. To a large extent, they did however fail to enable significant conviction and return of assets. Online Khabar: https://english.onlinekhabar.com/anti-corruption-law-missing-target.html   [Blog] Growing security risks and authoritarian
Read more

Middle East & North Africa - Ukraine - Sri Lanka

-
Corruption fuels ongoing conflict. The Middle East and North Africa has been in a decline on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for years. The region is also ranked as the "least peaceful region" according to the Global Peace Index. Transparency International (TI) argues that corruption, conflict, and security are profoundly intertwined. TI: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2022-middle-east-north-africa-corruption-fuels-ongoing-conflict   [Opinion] Ukraine's corruption purge is setting the stage for private investment-driven recovery. Corruption is regarded as a key threat to the Ukrainian economy, depriving public budgets and discouraging foreign direct investments (FDI). The current administration has taken strong anti-corruption action, and the country has witnessed a significant increase in FDI in recent years, says author. DevDiscourse: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2353089-ukraines-corruption-purge-setting-stage-
Read more

Global - Sub-Saharan Africa - Turkey & Syria

-
Invisible Trillions review: Global capitalism operates beyond the rule of law and threatens democracy. Raymond W. Baker's new book "Invisible Trillions" argues that "secrecy has become as important for corporations as transparent and taxable profits used to be". "Only radical improvements across the globe in financial transparency and accountability, and in regulatory capacity and integrity, can break this cycle of political decay and despair". The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/invisible-trillions-review-global-capitalism-operates-beyond-the-rule-of-law-and-threatens-democracy-199311   [Blog] The dynamics of violent extremism in sub-Saharan Africa. There is no better environment for the expansion of violent extremist groups than a vacuum in state authority. These groups begin to compete with the state and may even be initially attractive to communities weary of years of lawlessness, corruption, and chaos according to autho
Read more