Dear Colleagues Board Members of the African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC);
Dear members of APNAC National Chapters, Ladies and Gentlemen;
Today, the world is observing International Anti-Corruption Day.
International Anti-Corruption Day is observed every year on 09 December to reflect on issues related to the fight against corruption.
This year’s edition placed under the theme “Uniting the world against corruption: 20 years of the United Nations Convention against Corruption”, aims to highlight the crucial link between the fight against corruption, peace, security, and development.
Needless to say that the United Nations Convention against Corruption is a reference instrument in the fight against corruption throughout the world.
The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 26 to September 4, 2002, established that corruption is a threat to the sustainable development of people.
Corruption is and remains a major threat to life, human rights, democracy, and democratic institutions. It is a significant obstacle to African states in achieving Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that affects all countries. It fosters bad governance, which in turn feeds organized crime networks. As such, it undermines prosperity and compromises respect for human rights and peace.
Concerned with the seriousness of the problems and the threats that corruption poses to the stability and security of African societies, our network has made a strong commitment and is doing remarkable work for an effective parliamentary fight against corruption.
In this regard, I would like to commend the individual and collective commitment of national chapters to the eradication of corruption on the African continent. This is evidenced by the resolutions adopted by APNAC, after its Biennial General Meeting in Cotonou, Benin, from July 26 to 28, 2022.
Eradicating corruption in Africa will enable the achievement of sustainable development goals, poverty reduction, human development, and access to basic social services.
This is why the celebration of the 2022 edition of the International Anti-Corruption Day is yet another opportunity for us to reflect and refocus on our strategy to fight corruption in Africa through the APNAC Network.
The efforts made by each APNAC Chapter as well as the partners who accompany us on this path of development for the strengthening of African anti-corruption mechanisms, in particular, the adoption of several laws, the setting up of institutions, as well as awareness-raising and repression initiatives must be multiplied to enable our Network to reach the objectives it has set for itself.
The fight against corruption must therefore go hand in hand with the strengthening of the rule of law and good governance as well as the establishment of solid institutions which, in turn, are the basis for human development.
In this regard, I would like to urge all national chapters to always give priority to the principles of good management of public affairs and public property, equity, responsibility, and equality before the law, and the need to safeguard the integrity and foster a culture of rejection of corruption in the definition of strategies to fight it.
I am convinced that our efforts and actions will allow Africa to eradicate this evil for its development at all levels.
I wish everyone a happy celebration.
Long life Africa,
Long live APNAC at the service of African development.
Done in Accra, Friday 09 December 2022
The President, APNAC-Africa Board, H.E. Louis Gbèhounou VLAVONOU
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