Kamal Sangra
Behind every great fortune lies a great crime- Honore de Balzac
The 9th of December 2021, is International Anti-Corruption Day, a day aimed at raising public awareness about corruption and the role of the UN Convention in combating and preventing corruption. In short, International Anti-Corruption Day aims to raise awareness of anti-corruption among people around the world.
History of International Anti-Corruption Day:
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is the only legally binding international anti-corruption multilateral treaty. On 31st October 2003 (coincidently, the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Since then, International Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated every year on December 9 to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, the capital of Austria, serves as Secretariat for the UNCAC.
“On this International Day, I urge all governments and all leaders to be transparent and accountable, and to use the tools provided by the United Nations Convention against Corruption and to ensure that precious resources serve the peoples of the world. Together, we must create more robust systems for accountability, transparency and integrity without delay,” said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message.
The theme of International Anti-corruption day 2020 was ‘United Against Corruption’. The 2020 theme would continue to support the 2030 Agenda, which forms the backbone of the campaign. In addition, the campaign will also have a youth component. The theme for the International Anti-Corruption Day 2021 is: “Your right, your role: Say no to Corruption.”
International scenario
In US and Europe, allegations of corruption play an important role during elections. However, in Indian Subcontinent and in resource-rich Africa, allegations of corruption are rarely on the agenda of any political party, with a few exceptions where parties did come to power by raising corruption issues but miserable failed to bring any change into the existing system.
The United Nations has provided a staggering number of corruption. As per the UN, every year over $1 Trillion is paid in bribes and over $2.6 Trillion is stolen through corruption. That’s over 5 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. According to Transparency International, about a quarter of the world’s population has paid a bribe while trying to access public services.
It leaves the question, if all forms of corruption are prevalent across the majority of countries, why the government in these countries fails to create stringent laws and rein in bureaucracy in order to diminish, if not eliminate corruption? This is because most governments lack political will. We must remember that virtually all effective anti-corruption initiatives throughout the world began with “political will” as the primary ingredient in anti-corruption recipes. Even if the government displays some political will, the result will be ineffective because the government’s strategy is limited to attacking lower and middle-level officials, while the bureaucracy and political elite is never challenged.
Robert Klitgaard, an American academic and Professor of Economics is considered “the world’s leading expert on corruption”. His analysis on corruption and role of Government in curbing the menace of corruption is excellent. In the words of Robert Klitgaard,
“… Different varieties of corruption are not equally harmful. Corruption that undercuts the rules of the game-for example, the justice system, or property rights, or banking and credit-devastates economic and political development. Corruption that allows polluters to foul rivers or hospitals to extort exorbitant or improper payments from patients can be environmentally and socially corrosive. In comparison, providing some speed money to get quicker access to public services and engaging in mild irregularities in campaign financing are less damaging. Of course, the extent of corruption also matters. Most systems can stand some corruption, and it is possible that some truly awful systems can be improved by it. But when corruption becomes the norm, its effects are crippling. Such systematic corruption makes establishing and maintaining internationally acceptable rules of the game impossible, and is one of the principal reasons why the least developed parts of our planet stay that way .
There are numerous examples of governments demonstrating political will and achieving desired outcomes. In June 2010, Benigno Aquino III was elected 15th President of the Philippines. His campaign slogan was Kung walang korap, walang mahirap – “When no one is corrupt, no one will be poor.” His inaugural address emphasized the need to combat corruption and pledged a new era of good governance, reforms and a bureaucracy that is responsive to the needs and interests of ordinary citizens. The anti-corruption crusade of Benigno Aquino III resulted in the arrest of a number of high-ranking officials, including three senators, a former national police chief and even his predecessor. In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, a widely used yardstick, the Philippines rose to 85th out of 175 countries from 134th place out of 178 in 2010.
Singapore is another success story. Singapore’s effectiveness in combating corruption is attributed to a strong anti-corruption framework, which includes four major pillars: laws, adjudication, enforcement, and public administration, all of which are supported by political will and leadership. The political will to eradicate corruption was established by Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, when the People’s Action Party (PAP) was elected into government in 1959. The PAP Government expanded the legislative powers of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), the sole agency responsible for combating corruption and placed the bureau under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Through more than 60 years of corruption-fighting, a deterrent stance has always been adopted, ensuring that there are no cover-ups and corruption is fought without fear or favour. Singapore is now least corrupt Asian country according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2016 and 2017. As a result of the government’s unwavering political commitment and leadership, a culture of zero tolerance against corruption has become ingrained into the Singapore psyche and way of life.
(The writer is a freelance)
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