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Session one - Session two - Session three - Session four - Final plenary
Agenda Notes also available in PDF (24kb)
SESSION ONE
Anti-corruption programmes in partner countries
The opening session of the Forum set out an understanding of anti-corruption programmes in partner countries as an ongoing process of governance, involving a range of actors. Combating corruption is an ongoing responsibility for government, civil society, and the private sector. This is the case in both OECD countries and partner countries, whether developing countries or emerging economies.
The first plenary, entitled “Building public confidence in development effectiveness through anti-corruption programmes,” considered the links among development effectiveness, anti-corruption activities and regaining public confidence. Until recently, there had been a decline in aid, associated with reduced public confidence that official development assistance had an impact on development. The reduction in public confidence was the result of several factors, but prominent among these factors was the perceived impact of corruption in partner countries.
UN Anti-Corruption Day
The Development Partnership Forum marked one year anniversary of the signature of the UN Anti-Corruption Convention with a video link to the UN Anti-Corruption Day (9 December) events taking place at UN Headquarters in New York and UNODC headquarters in Vienna.
SESSION TWO
Combating corruption in partner countries
This session aims to understand better the way in which partner countries are trying to combat corruption. There will be particular focus on the efforts of civil society to support the implementation of the UN anti-corruption convention. How might the international community support these efforts? The session is composed of four parallel breakout groups.
breakout group one
Better understanding the political economy of aid and corruption. This group will consider what has been learned by researchers in OECD countries and partner countries about the broad political economy of aid and corruption. Building on specific research studies, the group will consider the efficacy of different assessment techniques and indicators to study and measure corruption. For example, the group will review an analytical model for assessing horizontal accountability at macro level, based on a National Integrity System. What are the implications of these research results for different aid modalities and conditionality?
breakout group two
Enhancing the role of civil society in anti-corruption work. The goal of this group is to understand the role that civil society can play in raising awareness of corruption and increasing pressure on government and the private sector. The group will consider the range of civil society actors, the interaction with governments and multilateral organisations, and the legitimacy of civil society organisations role in fighting corruption. The group will also discuss advocacy and ways of monitoring corruption.
breakout group three
Supporting legislation on money laundering and recovery of stolen assets. This group will raise awareness of ongoing initiatives in this area and explore the links with the UN anti-corruption convention. In particular, the group will consider the opportunities and constraints in formulating a “model outline of legislation” in these fields, which could be helpful in overcoming capacity limitations in partner countries.
breakout group four
Building capacity to follow international conventions. The goal of this group is to explore existing international and regional conventions including monitoring mechanisms, and to review implementation and capacity building. A consideration for the group is how donor governments might coordinate national efforts, including the private sector, in support of the international framework. The group might also explore ways to strengthen the linkages between the OECD and UN conventions.
SESSION THREE
Assessing donor practices and aid modalities in a corruption perspective
Issues relating to donor procurement and corruption preoccupy both donors and recipients. Furthermore, some critics of aid allege that some donor practices have an impact on increasing corruption in partner countries. While some critics use the stories of corruption to question the whole development enterprise, others are more concerned with the lessons to be learned to improve development effectiveness. Donor agencies may have made efforts to protect their aid grants and loans from corruption but, to be credible with the critics of aid practices, donors must do better by considering the impact of their practices on development prospects in partner countries.
Does the way donors deliver their aid and assistance promote rather than prevent corruption?
This session takes up these issues in the form of a discussion of the question: “Does the way donors deliver their aid and assistance promote rather than prevent corruption?” On the one hand, Brian Cooksey (TI Tanzania) will put the case that donor activities, especially certain policies and aid modalities, can promote corruption. Abdoulaye Bio Tchané (Director of the African Department in IMF) will argue that the international regulatory framework acts to limit opportunities for corruption. Key witnesses, with experience of donor practices and corruption, are called to aid the investigation of the possible links and causes by providing their individual experiences of specific situations. These witnesses are drawn from civil society and the private sector in an OECD country, a developing country and a transition economy.
The format of the discussion will allow opposing points of view and contentious facts to be presented clearly and unambiguously. It will also provide the basis for the next session that looks at how the international community can improve its performance.
SESSION FOUR
Taking Concerted Action
This session aims to reach conclusions about actions that can be taken by the international community to combat corruption. There will be particular focus on the ways that donors can improve development effectiveness by taking account of the risks of corruption in their aid programmes. The session is composed of four parallel breakout groups followed by the final plenary.
Emerging lessons and principles for government donors
The parallel breakout groups will discuss “Emerging lessons and principles for government donors.” These groups will share the lessons learned by OECD member countries, the multilateral agencies and NGOs in their anti-corruption work. The discussions will also consider the concerns about the possible links between aid and corruption that were raised during the debate in session three. Each of the group discussions will aim to suggest ways to move forward for further discussion in the final plenary.
breakout group five
Facilitating access to information. The goal of this group is to understand the role of access to information in the fight against corruption both in OECD countries and partner countries, and to review some current best practice. The group will highlight recent work undertaken by OECD GOV and Transparency International for OECD countries and will present the experience of the Media Council in Papua New Guinea in promoting access to information.
breakout group six
Supporting partner countries’ programmes to fight corruption. The goal of this group is to review good practice in donor support to partner countries’ anti-corruption activities. The group will consider the lessons that have emerged from medium term experience with anti-corruption programmes supported by multilateral and bilateral donors (specifically the World Bank and the Utstein Group). The group will also review work by the OECD GOVNET in developing principles for donors.
breakout group seven
Improving procurement and public contracting. The goal of this group is to explore the impact of corruption in public contracting on development programmes in partner countries. In particular, the group will consider the special risks to aid funds. The group will review emerging principles in procurement and public contracting arising from a roundtable in South Africa and a global forum in Paris (OECD) and the ongoing work on public contracting by TI.
FINAL PLENARY SESSION
Moving ahead: plenary discussion.. The purpose of the Forum is to improve donor effectiveness in combating corruption. This theme was addressed in earlier sessions by focusing on improved donor action in supporting anti-corruption programmes in partner countries and assessing donor practices and aid modalities in a corruption perspective. Following on from the lessons that emerged in the plenaries and breakout sessions, the Forum will consider the ways in which the international community can move ahead in the fight against corruption. The discussion will be framed by Peter Eigen (Chairman of the Board, TI), Richard Manning (DAC Chair), Mark Pieth (Chair of the OECD Anti-Bribery Working Group), and a Senior Official in the fight against corruption in non-OECD country (to be confirmed). These speakers will provide their reflections on the lessons learned in the Forum. Each of these speakers represents different parts of the international community engaged in the fight against corruption.
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