Suva, Fiji - Law enforcement and other specialists engaged in the detection and prosecution of corruption and corruption-related offences today concluded a two-day stakeholder management workshop presented by UNDP specialists in cooperation with the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption (FICAC) in Fiji and virtually across the Pacific region.

Involving public prosecutors and representatives of corruption investigation agencies, Financial Intelligence Units, Ombudsman and Audit offices, and relevant tax, customs and regulatory authorities, the event equipped participants with the knowledge and skills to engage with the multiple stakeholders that are essential in the fight against corruption and manage relationships with and between them to maximize positive results.

As corruption and other economic crimes are often complex and multidimensional, anti-corruption agencies need all members of society – individuals, private sector and non-government organizations, media outlets and academia, for example – to help detect and combat them. Centred around the concept of a stakeholder – any person with an interest or concern – the workshop introduced the 52 specialist practitioners to the principles of stakeholder engagement and management. The agenda included identifying and categorizing stakeholders, stakeholder analysis, planning and implementing effective action to influence civil society stakeholders, including monitoring and evaluating results. The event also included a knowledge exchange presentation from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) on their perspective on stakeholder management from a local context. Furthermore, legal aspects of the use and exchange of information was deliberated upon during the workshop.

Implementing a whole-of-society approach to anti-corruption is essential to combating corruption which remains a destructive phenomenon in the Pacific threatening national and regional sustainable development. If unchecked, corruption diverts public resources away from essential services, increases inequality, and corrodes the rule of law by destroying public trust in government.

Nicola Noble, Head of Pacific Conflict, Stability and Security Programme at the British High Commission, said: “A focus on different stakeholders through a whole-of-society approach provides a powerful tool in the fight against corruption.  The fight against corruption cannot be effective and sustainable without the involvement and commitment of all layers of society. Working with UNDP, the UK government is pleased to support this important initiative for advancing knowledge and skills among key professional groups in the region.”

Sonja Stefanovska-Trajanoska, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser said, “Anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies are in the front line in the fight against corruption but everyone in society has a role to play. The event made clear how important that role is, and how a whole-of-society approach can be harnessed for the benefit of all citizens. We were delighted in the interest shown in this event and the enthusiasm of the participants. We hope that the new ideas and tools will be taken forward not only for improved anti-corruption results but also for achieving progress against overall development of society.”

Kolora Naliva, Manager Corruption Prevention, FICAC said, “This is a very important topic for any institution involved in the fight against corruption in Fiji and in the Pacific - to identify relevant stakeholders and vested interests, create and manage productive relationships with them, and determine whether the initiative was having a positive effect on anti-corruption efforts. The event certainly expanded our horizons as we look to innovative ways of addressing a challenging problem and embrace the whole society in Fiji through our work.”

The workshop was organized in Sigatoka, Fiji, by the UNDP Pacific Office project Strengthening Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Accountability in Pacific Island Countries (“Pacific Anti-Corruption Project”) funded by the Government of the United Kingdom.

For more information, or media interviews please contact:

Emily Moli, Knowledge Communications Analyst, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji.
Email: emily.moli@undp.org; tel: (+679) 3227 504