Governance for Sustainable Development Building Transparency, Accountability and Anticorruption in Post-2015 Development Agenda By Anga Timilsina, Programme Manager, UNDP s Global Anti-Corruption Initiative (GAIN) Yerevan, Armenia, 08 September 2014
Outline 1. Governance and sustainable development - background 2. MDGs to SDGs: Lessons learned on transparency, accountability and anticorruption 3. Way forward What is needed to build transparency, accountability and anticorruption in post-2015 development agenda?
Good governance and capacity development as part of triple wins for sustainable development
Transparency & Accountability a Condition for Sustainable Development Access to information/rights to information Budget/expenditure/revenue/aid transparency (e.g. EITI) Monitoring of service delivery by anti-corruption institutions, communities and civil society organizations Integrated and collaborative governance including non-government and private sector in policy making, programme implementation and monitoring (e.g. Open Government Partnership) Provision of sanctions to ensure accountability (with transparency)
How transparency and accountability do contribute to service delivery? An example!
Fighting corruption do contribute to sustainable development
Corruption and Development Nexus Economic Growth --Corruption discourages investment and foreign aid; add unpredictability in business environment; distorts economic policies for inclusive growth and green economy Corruption Environmental Sustainability --Corruption worsens environmental governance; reduces the stringency of environmental regulations; and contributes to illegal logging & deforestation Social Development --Corruption undermines efforts to reduce poverty; worsens income and other inequalities
Fighting Corruption Facilitates Development --Estimated US$1 trillion per year lost through illicit financial flows (amount than enough to fund MDGs) --Corruption raises household price of water by 30%; quiet corruption have greater consequences for poverty
From MDGs to SDGs : Lessons learned on transparency, accountability and anticorruption
From MDGs to SDGs : Lessons learned on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption Lesson 1: Needs a fundamental shift in thinking to include governance as a central part of development (transparency, accountability and anti-corruption are key for development MDG pay off/development dividend). Lesson 2: Resource leakages must be prevented to ensure the greater impact of post-2015 development agenda. Lesson 3: Accountability in monitoring and the localization of internationally agreed goals is vital.
The ongoing discussion on the Post-2015 Development Agenda recognizes that good and effective governance is key to sustainable development Professionalism Leadership Ethics
UNSG HLP on Post-2015 Development Agenda - Governance serves as both key outcome and enablers of development - Better government policies, fair and accountable public institutions, are vital for sustainable development -Need to have a transparency revolution - citizens should see exactly where and how taxes, aid and revenues are spent and services are delivered (access to information regarding public services/service providers)
The major ongoing intergovernmental processes reinforcing the importance of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption UNCAC implementation (172 State Parties) Chapter II (preventive measures); OECD convention and other anti-corruption regional conventions Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Open Government partnership (OGP) African Peer Review Mechanism The g7+ Peacebuilding and State-building goals in the New Deal Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the Human Rights Council Istanbul plan of action of the LDCs; the G-20 anticorruption action plan
Goa16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 16.4 By 2030 significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen recovery and return of stolen assets, and combat all forms of organised crime. 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all its forms. 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
Way forward What is needed to build transparency, accountability and anti-corruption in post-2015 development agenda? 1. Agreeing among all member states on the proposed goals/targets 2. Establishing a framework for stronger accountability of states and non-state actors. 3. Designing indicators to meaningfully measure and track the progress 4. Motivating public officials to localize the SDGs (Public officials are integral in terms of delivery and in terms of success)
It is time for the international community to use new ways of working, to go beyond an aid agenda and put its own house in order: to implement a swift reduction in corruption, illicit financial flows, money-laundering, tax evasion, and hidden ownership of assets. -The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, 2013. Thank you! www.anti-corruption.org anga.timilsina@undp.org