Suva, Fiji – A new Pacific-wide anti-corruption partnership has been launched between the Government of New Zealand and the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, in an effort to improve the livelihoods of people in 13 Pacific Island countries.

Valued at NZ$4 million, this new partnership will assist UN-PRAC Project to boost its anti-corruption and governance assistance for two and a half years. This support by the New Zealand Government is part of the broader NZ$24.7 million NZ UN Pacific Partnership which was launched in July.     

The UNPRAC Project is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to promote and strengthen measures to prevent and fight corruption more efficiently and effectively in the Pacific.  This includes supporting regional promotion of the Teieniwa Vision, which is a collective Pacific pledge to combat corruption.

The New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Jonathan Curr, said New Zealand wants to assist UN-PRAC to support the strengthening of anti-corruption legislation and policies.

“New Zealand has committed to UN-PRAC as part of our support for our new UN-led programme to lift basic services, governance and gender equality,” said His Excellency Curr.

“This new partnership will assist UN-PRAC to help Pacific island countries strengthen their broader governance frameworks in line with the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and Sustainable Development Goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,” said UNODC Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser for the Pacific, Annika Wythes.

She added, “The partnership with New Zealand builds on the work UN-PRAC has achieved in the Pacific since 2012 through the continued support of the Australian Government.”

The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Anti-Corruption Adviser, Sonja Stefanovska-Trajanoska, highlighted that increased transparency and accountability in decision-making and management of public resources was a key focus in this stage of the Project.

“Thanks to this new partnership, we will be able to deepen our anti-corruption work across different sectors and branches of the government, civil society groups and the private sector in the Pacific,” said Stefanovska-Trajanoska.

The joint UNDP‐UNODC Project aims to support Pacific Island countries by strengthening their capacity to address corruption in order to provide better service delivery and development outcomes for their people. New Zealand funding supports the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

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For more information, or media interviews please contact:

Jone Tuiipelehaki Raqauqau, Communications Associate - Effective Governance Team, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji. E: jone.raqauqau@undp.org. P: (679) 3227 552 OR M: (679) 7836744.