Advocating for Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Fiji

 Meet TI's new national contact in Fiji: Integrity Fiji

Fiji has the biggest population (900k) and the largest economy in the South Pacific. It is considered the hub of the Pacific. There had previously been a TI chapter in Fiji, but it closed down in 2016. The new team members come from diverse backgrounds and are very enthusiastic about developing a dynamic culture of integrity and anti-corruption in Fiji.

As a rugby-crazy nation, we thankfully have one thing in common. When we meet at retreats and workshops, we find time to play some Sevens or Touch Rugby on the beach!

Describe in a tweet what you do as a team

We work with a number of partners (like the Fiji National University Faculty of Humanities, the Ministry of Economy Procurement Section and other state and non-state agencies) to advocate for strengthened anti-corruption policies. We have facilitated a free online anti-corruption course and like to fill our social media channels with our creative integrity and anti-corruption posts.

Share with us one of your latest proud moments as an organisation. Why this one?

Our youth leaders had been advocating on mainstream and social media against the draconian Draft Police Bill, which would have allowed the Police to search homes and workplaces without search warrants, amongst other repressive measures. The bill was suddenly withdrawn in March and the media report implied that the Prime Minister had withdrawn the Bill due to the advocacy of the Youth for Integrity Network in Fiji. We are proud to have inspired the Fijian public to stand up for their rights and to speak out.

What’s the best thing about working at CLCT (Civic Leaders for Clean Transactions) Integrity Fiji and being part of TI?

We are like one big family and are always zooming, vibering, messenging and texting each other with new initiatives, ideas, activities and strategies on anti-corruption in Fiji. There is always a lot of laughter, jokes and friendly arguments. We stand out in Fiji because we do a lot of advocacy work using videos, songs, tiktoks and more on social media.

And the most challenging?

We get asked to participate in events and help out with various initiatives by the Government Departments and CSOs and sadly, because of our limited budget and manpower, we are not able to say ‘yes’ to all these requests.

What’s the message you’d put on a billboard, if you knew the entire TI movement could see it?

For a nation like Fiji which had five coups since 1987 and is ruled by a government which takes authoritarian lines, our billboard message would be:

"If you believe it's right, then develop an anti-corruption strategy and just go for it!"

Anything else you’d like to share with us about your work?

We would like to thank everyone who have helped and continue to help us on our anti-corruption journey. Many thanks to Alejandro Salas from the TI Secretariat who came to Fiji towards the end of 2019 and inspired us to remain true to our calling. We are deeply grateful to TI New Zealand who have continued to work with us on our anti-corruption strategies. And to the TI movement we'd like to say ‘Vinaka Vakalevu’ (thank you very much!) for the friendship and support.

Contact Details:

Integrityfiji73@gmail.com

Launch of Civic Leaders for Clean Transactions - Integrity Fiji, the National Contact of Transparency International in Fiji

 Mariam Mathew (Transparency International)

Sakeo Moce (Board Secretary) with Joseph Veramu and Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Education at the Fiji National University Prof Una Nabobo-Baba

August 11, 2021, Suva, Fiji—At a virtual event in the presence of Fijian government officials, civil society and media, as well as key stakeholders in the international community, Integrity Fiji was launched as the national contact of Transparency International in Fiji. National and international anti-corruption stakeholders in Fiji welcomed the initiative and committed to cooperate with the Integrity Fiji in their fight against corruption.

Mr. Daniel Eriksson, Chief Executive Officer, who spoke at the event stated, “We welcome Integrity Fiji to the Global Movement and look forward to working closely with them on key priorities relevant to the Fiji national context”. Transparency International is a global network of locally established independent organisations in more than a hundred countries with an international secretariat in Berlin. Transparency International has been leading the fight against corruption for the last 27 years.

Mr. Jofiliti Veikoso, the Chairperson of Board of Directors of Integrity Fiji, stated, “Four years ago a group of us came together to advocate for transparency and accountability in Fiji. We really didn’t imagine we would get this far. We didn’t have any funding at all. We used our own resources, engaged on digital and traditional media on anti-corruption seeing the need for it, and learnt to be courageous along the way.”

Integrity Fiji is a registered non-profit organisation in Fiji. According to Dr. Veramu, Executive Director of Integrity Fiji, Transparency International Secretariat and the National Chapter in New Zealand with funding support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the Government of New Zealand were important players in their initial establishment and growth. “We now look forward to expanding our partnerships in our anti-corruption and sustainable development agenda”.

As the National Contact and lead in Transparency International’s work in Fiji, Integrity Fiji will work closely with Transparency International and leverage its knowledge and expertise to support government strengthen its governance operations in the country. According to Mr. Veikoso, the organization’s vision is a Fiji freed from corruption through strong integrity systems. Through their current strategy ending 2025, the organisation will focus on public education and engagement, as well as advocacy and capacity building to strengthen governance in key sectors where corruption risks are higher.

For more information, please contact:
Joseph Veramu, Part Time Volunteer Executive Director, CLCT - Integrity Fiji
joseph.veramu@gmail.com

Annex: Priority Areas of CLCT – Integrity Fiji

1. Informed, Engaged and Active Demand for Accountability

Integrity Fiji aims to create a culture of intolerance towards corruption so that incidences of corruption are reported by the public. This will be achieved through public education via mainstream/social media, online anti-corruption courses and University anti-corruption programs to develop a citizenry that thinks critically and is willing to take action to curb corruption.

2. Responsive, Effective and Accountable Governance

Integrity Fiji will support key government line ministries and public institutions to strengthen their regulatory frameworks and monitoring mechanisms. The organization will also partner with key academic institutions to provide capacity building support to public officials, private sector and other non-state agencies on transparency and accountability to achieve stronger compliance of anti-corruption legislation.

3. Strong active advocacy role by Integrity Fiji nationally

Integrity Fiji will build a strong and committed youth group and support them to take on a strong anti-corruption advocacy role through resourcing and capacity building. Additionally, the organisation will undertake capacity building activities for its staff as well as engage proactively in fundraising activities to ensure that the organisation continues to be effective and sustainable.

 

World Whistleblowers Day – Where We Are at In the Pacific

 

by Mariam Mathew
Transparency International
Joseph Veramu
CLCT Integrity Fiji

Earlier this year, the unfair treatment of Professor Pal Ahluwalia, University of South Pacific’s Vice Chancellor, by the government of Fiji shocked Pacific societies. Authorities raided Vice Chancellor’s house, and deported him together with his wife to Australia for unspecified immigration violations. This coincidentally occurred after he blew a whistle on alleged financial irregularities under the university’s previous administrations.

Today, 23 June is World Whistleblowers Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate the people who have come forward to speak out against corruption and wrongdoing. And while there is an increased global recognition of whistleblowers’ vital role in our societies, in far too many places, urgent action to protect them is still needed. 

Across the Pacific region, whistleblowers still desperately lack basic legal protections. Whistleblower protection reform is needed at key Pacific intergovernmental organisations, like the University of South Pacific, where Professor Pal Ahluwalia works.

Whistleblowing is one of the most effective ways to shine the light on corruption. Courageous individuals’ disclosures have exposed corruption and other wrongdoing, helping save public funds and avoid disasters for health and the environment.

Public and private organisations also directly benefit from whistleblowing mechanisms, as they are effective corruption risk management and prevention tools, allowing them to be alerted to and address corruption issues, thus preventing or mitigating damages for the organisation and, often, the public interest.

However, too often whistleblowers face retaliation in the form of harassment, dismissal from jobs, blacklisting, threats and even physical violence, and their disclosures are routinely ignored.

Individual rights to freedom of expression includes the right to point out acts of wrongdoing – both in government and in private companies. Whistleblowers must be acknowledged and protected, not punished and ostracised.

 

Reform efforts and pending gaps

Transparency International has developed international principles for whistleblowing legislation and a Best Practice Guide for Whistleblowing Legislation, which many countries and international organisations have used as a guide to develop their own legislation and standards.

Regionally, the Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network (PILON) has also published guiding principles for protecting whistleblowers and encouraging protected disclosure.

In the Pacific region, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are the only two countries which have passed specific whistleblower protection laws. Transparency International’s chapters in these countries have been key players advocating for whistleblower protection. The Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Palau have all been considering enacting such legislation too.

Despite these positive steps, more must be done. PNG’s 2020 Whistleblower Protection Act was developed with minimal consultations and has several limitations. According to the 2021 PNG National Integrity System Assessment, this legislation is wholly inadequate. It places the burden on whistleblowers with no protection of their identities and with the ultimate arbiter being the head of the agency. There is no private sector protection, and the public sector provisions allow civil servants to blow the whistle only on their own agency. 

PNG’s 2020 organic law on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) however has strong whistleblowing provisions that consider the private sector as well. However, these only pertain to the work of the commission once established.

In Solomon Islands, the 2018 Whistleblower Protection Act includes heavy penalties for victimising and exposing whistleblowers. However, such offences must be reported to key institutions, such as the Solomon Islands ICAC, which is not fully functional yet and currently experiences capacity and resource limitations. Implementation of relevant legislation will require strengthening of key institutions and mechanisms.

In Vanuatu, the 2016 Right to Information act has provisions for whistleblower protection but the similarly implementation of the Act needs to be supported and awareness of it raised amongst the general public.

 

What needs to be done

Pacific governments and other key stakeholders should take decisive steps towards the creation of a supportive environment where whistleblowers are empowered to speak up and are adequately protected across the region.

Governments need to prioritise whistleblower protection legislation across all Pacific countries to protect whistleblowers nationally and at the regional level. Since several Pacific countries are interested in enacting whistleblower protection legislation, this is an opportune entry point for civil society to conduct law reform advocacy, drawing on global good practice.

Acknowledging the strong commitment by the leadership in PNG to amend further the national Whistleblower protection Act, this process needs to take place consultatively together with civil society and other key stakeholders to ensure the legislation meets international standards.

Capacity support and funding needs to be prioritised to strengthen key institutions and mechanisms that will enable effective implementation of the whistleblower protection legislation in Solomon Islands, as well as other legislation containing relevant provisions in Vanuatu and other Pacific countries.

Development partners and intergovernmental institutions such as PILON need to support governments and the private sector adapt from international and regional guidelines and best practices to strengthen whistleblower protection across the region.

Companies, too, have a key role to play in encouraging anonymous reporting and whistleblower protection. Business networks can partner with government actors and civil society to conduct whistleblower protection capacity support to the private sector.

Finally, institutions implementing whistleblower protection policies, as well as agencies that provide legal advice, need to engage workers and clients to give them access to safe channels of reporting corruption and receiving information on their rights and obligations.

When properly implemented, whistleblowing mechanisms – which should include safe reporting channels and whistleblower protection policies, but also other elements such as awareness raising and training – empower workers to report wrongdoing they encounter. They allow organisations to become aware of internal corruption issues and to act rapidly to address them, making them effective corruption prevention and risk management tools.

5 ways the Pacific region can recover with integrity in 2021

While the whole world looks hopefully ahead to 2021 as a year of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme for 2020's International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, “Recover with Integrity” has a particular relevance for the Pacific region.

 In April this year, parts of the Pacific experienced a double crisis, with Cyclone Harold wreaking destruction in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga on top of the public health emergency. In addition to the economic disruption, tragic loss of life and widespread damage, the Category 5 storm and the virus have both created risks of further exploitation of governance systems which were already weak.

In the Pacific, as elsewhere, significant measures continue to be taken to respond to the immediate threat of COVID-19 and help lives and livelihoods recover in its aftermath. Several Pacific countries have declared a State of Emergency and created economic stimulus packages, and international aid in the form of funding and equipment has poured in to support governments implement their response plans and strengthen national health systems.

With these commendable efforts, however, comes a key challenge: limited transparency and accountability in government responses. There have been allegations of diversions of funds and limited adherence to proper procurement processes, which creates opportunities for bribery, kickbacks, and contract malfeasance. Without adequate access to information, and enough capacity of oversight mechanisms, it is difficult to verify or disprove these claims. In some countries, anti-corruption and right to information laws are in place – but enforcement and implementation of the policies that support them have been met with obstacles, including resource challenges and, at the root of it, limited political will.

Through a series of specific recommendations, civil society in some Pacific countries have put pressure on governments to become more transparent and accountable. But this pressure has not always been well received. State of Emergency powers have been used to narrow the space for civil society to play its vital role in combatting corruption and supporting sustainable development. Solomon Islands for example recently announced that it would ban Facebook, a key tool for engaging and sharing information with the public. There have also been concerns over limited press freedom in several countries. Under its State of Emergency declared earlier in the year, Vanuatu ruled in its official gazette that media outlets can only publish stories about COVID-19 if they get official authorisation.

Access to information is a human right and crucial for citizens to make important choices, particularly at a time of unprecedented crisis when the timely access to accurate information is literally a matter of life and death. Social and traditional media are also essential for allowing dialogue between citizens, especially young people, and duty bearers, so that policy can best be shaped to meet the most urgent needs of vulnerable populations.

At the beginning of this year, some Pacific leaders adopted the ‘Teieniwa Vision’, which is a commitment of their collective efforts to tackle corruption in all levels of society. It recognises the importance of strong leadership and building political will to unite against corruption. However, this vision is yet to translate into bold deliberate collective action which would lead to a reduction of corruption rates across the region.

During the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, key civil society groups are calling upon Pacific leaders to do five things.

1)    Prioritise the strengthening of national governance and integrity systems in order to tackle corruption and achieve greater impact with pandemic response measures, particularly for those most vulnerable.

2)    Review progress on the Teieniwa Vision and agree on key steps to strengthen action in 2021 for greater government transparency and accountability.

3)    Urgently establish inclusive national processes for auditing state of emergency finances and procurement to date.

4)    Establish and adequately resource key oversight mechanisms in order to build capacity and let them function effectively.  

5)    Last but not least, ensure freedom of expression, and press freedom across the region.

These measures would both empower citizens and protect essential resources from corruption and malfeasance, supporting the Pacific’s recovery and future sustainable development. Governments throughout the Pacific have a duty to turn vision into action.

 Joseph Veramu is PT Executive Director of Civic Leaders for Clean Transactions (CLCT) Integrity Fiji and Higher Education Consultant at FNU.

Mariam Mathew is Regional Advisor for the Pacific at Transparency International

Time for Constructive Resolution and Closure to the USP Saga

Finding a solution

The USP saga continues unabated and it is time to find an amicable and constructive solution.  All those involved should come together and iron out their differences in the spirit of Pacific regionalism. We have so many challenges brought about by the pandemic and can’t be bogged down indefinitely with a regional conflict that affects our students, staff and their learning. The saga is polarising nations and this is destructive for the development of higher education in the region.

There are huge climate change issues to be tackled and sustainable development initiatives to be implemented and we cannot continue to be side-tracked. In reaching an affirming resolution we must ensure that Integrity and Transparency are never compromised.

Media affected

From the outset, the matter has been complicated by the shutting out of the media from freely reporting council meetings or of covering press briefings of staff or students held at Laucala Campus. When Ahluwalia was suspended last year and deported last week, details had been sparse in the mainstream media. This had allowed social media innuendo to thrive.

 We understand that Professor Ahluwalia was deported because he was a public risk and that there were “continuous breaches of the Immigration Act.” There have been no specific details provided of the alleged breaches. Weeks earlier, social media had been rife with rumours that he would be deported. It was reported that New Zealand's foreign ministry has expressed concern at the implications of VC Ahluwalia's removal, and said it would work with other USP Council members for a resolution.

Importance of media

The media is extremely important in helping the Fijian, Pacific and global public to understand both sides of the conflict. They should be allowed to report objectively without restrictions. Since they have been effectively shut out of Laucala Campus and cannot cover Council meetings and  press briefings by Staff and Students, the Pacific public has not been able to get a holistic picture.

 They have been exposed mainly to Professor Ahluwalia’s narrative. He is very articulate and understands that mainstream and social media thrive on sound bytes during prime-time radio and TV news segments. He has always clearly articulated his arguments pitching it as a narrative of integrity at USP. I have chatted with 4 reporters from 3 Fijian media outlets and from their tone, they are infatuated with Professor Ahluwalia. He comes across as a ‘larger-than-life’ character from a Netflix movie. He was abruptly suspended last year and last week he was visited in the middle of the night by 15 officials yet all his images from both incidents show him exuding inner calmness. It is hard to demonise someone who after an ordeal says, “I praise the Lord and thank Almighty God for hearing the prayers of so many people throughout the region and for good governance, integrity and ethics to prevail.” (Fiji Sun 5-9-20).

 Whistle-blower

Ahluwalia has also shaped the narrative as "a classic case of beating the whistle-blower up." This was a variation of his previous assertion that he was the victim of a witch hunt, after raising concerns about governance issues and financial mismanagement. He had alleged widespread financial irregularities by his predecessor and the current pro-chancellor. An investigation substantiated some of his findings and called for stronger oversight by the university council. The USP's executive committee suspended him in 2020 when it came up with 33 allegations. There were protests from students and staff, and the suspension was later overturned by the University Council

 When VC Ahluwalia had raised his allegation, he had provided purported documentary evidence and had stated that he could provide more if required. When the 33 allegations were made against him (resulting in his suspension by the Executive Committee in 2020) there was no mention in any of the mainstream media of documentary evidence being provided. It was later reported that the USP Council looked at the allegations and that ‘A report from an investigation into allegations against Mr Ahluwalia, could not substantiate any of the 33 claims.’

I am not sure if the Media is inaccurately reporting the sentiments of Ahluwalia’s accusers. Their narrative sounds defensive and does not clearly attack the issues.

 Solution needed

Going forward, it is important that the media is given access to report freely on the USP saga (or any other sensitive issues in future). They should be allowed to enter Laucala Campus and attend press briefings by staff and students and should also be allowed to wait around for Council meeting briefings.  This is the only way that the Pacific public will get access to both sides of the conflict objectively.

 Although there have been many attempts to demonise Professor Ahluwalia, he has continued to receive support from a majority of Pacific nations in the Council including Australia and New Zealand who provide recurrent funding for USP while Fiji’s grant is currently withheld. It is time for Fiji and Nauru, two very close partners who have enjoyed very cordial relations in the past to engage for the greater good of the region.

It is also time to follow the American adage that if you can’t beat them (your adversaries), you can do the next best thing; join them. With this adage in mind, this is clearly looking like a lost cause and it is time to bite the bullet and work together for the greater good of Pacific regionalism. If we keep prolonging this saga it will have long term negative repercussions. 

Joseph Veramu can be contacted at joseph.veramu@outlook.com