Fighting corruption in Melanesia 25 March 2009

The International Council’s recently published report, Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection, was one of the key conference materials at the Melenesian Sub-regional Workshop on Anti-Corruption, facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Centre (UNDP PC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Papua New Guinea from 10 to 12 March 2009.

The International Council was pleased to note the emphasis that the workshop placed in drawing links between acts of corruption and the violation of human rights. It is hoped that the International Council’s report assisted the delegations in recognising the connection between corruption and the effective realisation of human rights, particularly with regard to vulnerable groups in society.

Throughout the workshop, the delegations acknowledged the importance of establishing a national anti-corruption taskforce as part of a comprehensive national anti-corruption or integrity plan. They resolved to continue the discussion regarding priorities for anti-corruption activities within their own countries.

Read the Outcomes Statement from the Conference.