United Nations Public Service Forum 2018 : Declaration of the Side Event on: “Transparency, Integrity and Anti-Corruption a Key Requirement for the Realization of Sustainable Development”
We,
Participants at the Side Event on “Transparency, Integrity and the Fight Against Corruption: A Key Requirement for Achieving Sustainable Development”, held on Friday 22 June 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco, as part of the Celebration of the International Day of the Public Service, Under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, in partnership and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); the African Union Specialized Technical Committee No. 8 on Public Service, Local Authorities, Urban Development and Decentralization;, Islamic Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (ISESCO); the Ministry in charge of the Reform of the Administration and Public Service of the Kingdom of Morocco; United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and its African Academy Territorial Communities (ALGA);
– Stressing the importance of the commitment of the Heads of State and Government of Africa on the occasion of the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting in favor of the Rule of Law, an essential condition for the prevention and repression of corruption;
– Inspired by the noble collective ideals expressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 for an Africa free of corruption, where good democratic and participative governance reigns, as well as respect for human rights;
– Conscious of the negative impact of corruption and its harmful effects on both human development; economic growth; competitiveness; the functioning, image and reputation of the democratic institutions; , which are essential for the stability of national and local institutions and the establishment of social justice;
– Knowing that the Member States of the African Union proclaimed July 11th of each year, “African day of fight against corruption” and dedicated 2018 African Year for the fight against corruption with as theme “Overcoming corruption: a sustainable path for the development of Africa “;
– Adhering to the standards of good governance provided for by African and international instruments concerning the fight against corruption, the promotion of transparency and integrity, in particular, through the various protocols and charters of the African Union concerning the fight against corruption, public service promotion and decentralization; the United Nations Convention against Corruption; and the strategies developed by African Union member states to ensure that corrupt practices do not undermine the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals;
– Welcoming the efforts of the Member States of the African Union in the implementation of these instruments and the will of the Heads of State and Government to respect commitments concerning the prevention and the fight against corruption as well as the promotion of transparency and integrity in territorial governance;
– Recalling that around 65% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be implemented at the level of cities and territories, which requires a strong commitment by States and the international community to the application of the principle of subsidiarity and the recognition of the essential role of local and regional governments in effectively ensuring the achievement of the SDGs on the ground;
– Convinced of the need to act now, first and foremost at the level of cities and territories, to promote the advent of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, ensure access to justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels;
Request:
1- Local and regional governments to:
i) Commit resolutely to promote transparency and integrity in the governance of cities and territories by adopting, among other things, a charter of commitment to service delivery to the citizens to which the different departments of the territorial administration must subscribe, and that shall define clearly the steps, costs and deadlines for providing the various services to the population; this charter of commitment must be widely publicized;
ii) Work towards the consolidation of participatory democracy through the implementation of innovative approaches to involving the population in the definition and implementation of local public action priorities, such as the participatory budget;
iii) Establish strict compliance with the rules of transparency in local public procurement and the application of contractual clauses, and implement exemplary sanctions in the event of lack and incentives for compliance;
iv) To submit the administrative and financial management of cities and territories to regular audits, the results of which are made public in order to develop the culture of accountability;
v) Promote and develop a system of observation and watch on the monitoring and evaluation of local public policies and corrupt practices, mobilizing the university and research community and civil society organizations;
vi) Launch public campaigns to promote transparency and integrity in the governance of cities and territories with the support of the media highlighting the dangers of corruption and mismanagement of public affairs and its negative impact on the promotion of values of effort and equity especially with young people.
2- National governments to:
i) Promote and establish an institutional and legal enabling environment for effective decentralization that recognizes the administrative and financial autonomy and decision-making of the governance and administrative bodies of cities and territories; and which ensures a balance between the competences that cities and territories must assume and the human and financial resources needed for their implementation;
ii) Develop attendance measures and support systems for local and regional governments to instill a culture of performance in the management of local public institutions and the provision of basic services to citizens;
iii) Define a strategy for the deployment and recruitment of quality human resources in the administrations of cities and territories, and for strengthening their capacities, relying in particular on the African Academy of Local Authorities (ALGA) established by United Cities and Local Governments of Africa;
iv) Monitor the quality of governance in local institutions, crack down on identified corruption and establish accountability practices;
v) Protect whistleblowers on corruption issues through legislation and relentlessly prosecute alleged bribery offenders;
vi) Ensure the integrity and transparency of local elections;
vii) Respect the commitments defining the rules relating to the practice of freedom of press and information and the freedom of publication and printing, including in the audiovisual and electronic media, and in the matter of freedom of expression of research and investigation as well as detection of corruption and embezzlement of public funds;
viii) Support the media to help spread the culture of good governance;
ix) Stimulate education to the culture of citizenship, equality, justice and good governance.
3. To the United Nations and the International Community as a whole:
i) Support the efforts of States and local governments in promoting transparency and integrity in governance of public affairs;
ii) Promote the exchange of anti-corruption experiences and set up an international platform identifying methods and tools to fight against corruption and promote transparency and integrity in the management of public affairs, accessible to all national, regional and local governments;
iii) Propose an international award for the most transparent cities and territories to foster a culture of exemplarity and identify role models that can inspire more responsible behavior towards the people in the management of public affairs.
Thank
– The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco through its Ministry of the Reform of the Administration and the Public Service for having given its agreement and for all the facilities contributed to the organization of this side event;
– The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); the Specialized Technical Committee No. 8 of the African Union on Civil
Service, Local Communities, Urban Development and Decentralization; Islamic Organization for the Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO); United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and its African Academy of Territorial Communities (ALGA) for their cooperation and cooperation in the organization and animation of this side event.
Express
Our deep and infinite gratitude to His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, for his high patronage and his constant commitment to fight against corruption and to support all institutions that promote transparency and integrity in the management of public affairs not only in Morocco, but also in Africa and around the world.
Done in Marrakesh 22 June 2018
The Participants
