Hearing the Voices of Ordinary Fijians: The Global Corruption Barometer – Pacific

 
Joseph Veramu, Katy Mackey and Mariam Mathew 

Fiji is a paradox; it is considered the hub of the South Pacific and has the largest economy. Yet despite its fame as a rugby sevens powerhouse, smiling Fijians and images of Fiji Water (being consumed by celebrities), the nation remains an enigma in some ways. Statistical data on corruption and other development issues on Fiji is not easy to come by and Fiji and other Pacific Island countries are often left off key indices. But this is starting to change.

On November 16, Transparency International released the first ever Global Corruption Barometer – Pacific. This report is welcome news for Pacific nations. Representing the views of over 6,000 people across ten Pacific countries and territories, including 1,000 Fijians, it is the most extensive public opinion survey on corruption ever gathered in the region. It asked everyday people across the region about their perceptions and lived experiences of corruption.

The report notes that, “When it comes to corruption, Pacific countries and territories have remained among the most under-studied in the world.” This data enables groups working in the anti-corruption space, including CLCT Integrity Fiji, to develop more effective, evidence-based strategies to build a culture of integrity.

The day of reckoning has come, and courage should not be in short supply!

Across the region, most Pacific Islanders surveyed support their government’s anti-corruption measures and believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption. Yet, the results also show that corruption impacts all areas of the lives of citizens, that there is a strong perception of corruption in key institutions and that citizens feel left out of decision-making processes. Meaningfully engaging citizens is an essential part of putting the wide range of transparency and good governance commitments made by Pacific leaders into practice.

The results for Fiji itself are heartening in some ways and comparatively better than the other countries surveyed, though still problematic. This demonstrates that the fight against corruption is never ending and there is no time to rest on our laurels or slow the pace of advocacy and litigations in the courts.

We will start off with the good news! 

A whopping 83% of respondents in Fiji agreed that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption. 56% agreed that the Government is doing a good job in fighting corruption, although this is slightly lower than the regional average of 62%.

Generally, Fijian respondents thought that their institutions, including parliament, civil servants, police, the courts and religious institutions, were less likely to be corrupt than respondents in the other countries surveyed.

When asked if they had paid a bribe to access public services in the 12 months before the survey, only 5% of Fijian respondents said yes, compared to the regional average of 32%. Only 17% relied on personal connections and only 4% reported that they had been offered a bribe to vote a certain way – again, both of these rates were lower than the regional average.

Of those who reported paying a bribe, 31% reported it to the relevant authorities, the highest rate in the region. This demonstrates in part the success that the national anti-corruption agency FICAC has had in public awareness and advocacy. The anti-corruption posters appearing on bus shelters, public transport, and mainstream media, and the young lawyers arguing cases in court have made an impact. And yet, more must be done. While these results are positive, essential services must be available to all regardless of who they know or if they can pay a bribe and free and fair elections remain a hallmark of our democracy.

There were greater causes for concern as well. A majority of Fijian respondents believe that corruption is a big problem for the country, in both government (68%) and the private sector (61%).

When asked if corrupt officials face appropriate action against them, 31% said they never or rarely did. 67% believe that companies use money or connections to secure profitable government contracts at least occasionally.

Perhaps most worryingly, 39% of respondents felt that their views were ‘never or rarely’ taken into account by government. Only 15% said that the government takes their views into account frequently or very frequently.

Drawing on the hope that Fijians reported in this survey, there is room for engaging citizens at the grassroots level to play proactive roles in curbing corruption. The survey results indicate that what is needed during the challenging pandemic period we are going through is more citizens’ engagement. This will require the government to strengthen access to information, media freedom and freedom of expression as well as supporting affected communities and civil society organisations to conduct independent monitoring of public contracting.

People are passionate about their country and believe they are a part of the narrative. They need to feel they are also helping to steer the canoe, not just riding as passengers. If they are apathetic, then that nurtures the breeding ground for corruption to flourish. These results show that Fijians are optimistic about the future. Let’s prove them right and stamp out corruption. 

 

Strengthening Integrity in Humanities and Education (Oct 21-23, 2021 - Utiqa Resort)

Elsie Pickering and Shalom Tehillati (Supported by TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL)

Elsie Pickering (r) and Shalom Tehillati (l) standing next to Dean Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba (seated) and other academic staff of CHE, Fiji National University

The calm and affirming setting of Ultiqa Resort in Pacific Harbour was the perfect setting for the Leaders Retreat organized by CLCT Integrity Fiji for the College of Humanities and Education (Fiji National University)

The Retreat looked at how ethics, good governance, anti-corruption values and integrity can be integrated in a seamless way into the Faculty of Humanities & Education  Corporate Plan 2022 to create better synergies with CLCT Integrity Fiji.

A highlight of the Retreat was the Round Table Discussions with the Minister of Education, Heritage and Arts (MEHA) Honorable Pramila Kumar and her senior officials. Ethics and good governance were key components of the exchanges. They were pleasantly surprised to hear about the constructive partnership between CLCT Integrity Fiji and the Faculty.  The discussions centred around MEHA Policies on Teacher Education and strategies for the School of Education to optimize its programmes of producing graduates who are imbued with both the pedagogical and personal values to be effective classroom practitioners able to deal with external variables that impact on students learning.

A key outcome of the Retreat was the collaboration on research and CSR activities with CLCT Integrity Fiji. They include the following initiatives –

-       School of Social Science (Dr M Alam) Research on University Students Perceptions of Transparency and Integrity

-       Dept of Ethics & Integrity plan to turn the highly successful MOOC anti-corruption course into a paid short course

-       Explore how Integrity Fiji can work with SoE on the BA in Sports from the angle of Sports Integrity to market the degree (with Integrity Fiji's partners in the Fiji Sports Commission and Ministry of Youth and Sports)

-       Work with Dept of Creative Arts (and Dept of Environment and Landowner) on Clean Up and placing of Signage on the popular Mt Korobaba hiking route.

-       Support various activities of CHE in CSR, Climate Change etc.

-       Continue working with SoE on the Trainee Teachers Leadership Program (and exploring areas of cooperation on the Enrichment program possibly with Girl Guides, Scouts, etc

-       Support the Launch of the Global Corruption Barometer on Nov 17 and the International Anti-Corruption Day on Dec 9.

The Retreat also had its fun moments when Integrity Fiji reps, Elsie Pickering and Shalom Tehillati organised a highly entertaining fun night!

 

Local CSOs Need to Be Part of the UNCAC Process in their Nations

 CLCT Integrity Fiji (National Contact for Transparency International)

On September 3^rd, CLCT Integrity Fiji organized a workshop on the United National Convention Against Corruption. Our meeting in Suva City Fiji coincided with governmental anti-corruption experts from around the world who met in Vienna starting on Sep 6 (and virtually) as three subsidiary bodies of the UNCAC Conference of States Parties to discuss UNCAC implementation, asset recovery, and international cooperation. 

While CSO observers are not invited to participate in these bodies’ proceedings, country delegates have been receptive to constructive suggestions on how governments should move forward on implementing the anti-corruption commitments they agreed to in June 2021 at the UN General Assembly Special Session against corruption and through the Political Declaration it adopted.

NGOs in Vienna received their annual briefing on UNCAC implementation from UNODC on Sep 7. This was an unusual (very rarely happens) opportunity for civil society to formally engage with the UNCAC Secretariat and with interested States who attended the meeting on how to advance the implementation of the UNCAC jointly.

The Vienna meeting discussed concrete next steps to prevent and combat grand corruption ahead of the 9th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UNCAC in December 2021

MOOC Anti-Corruption Course

CLCT Integrity Fiji’s discussions of UNCAC follows the successful Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Ethics and Anti-Corruption in Oceania that was offered on Jan 15, 2021. This was a collaborative effort between the Fiji National University (FNU) and CLCT Integrity Fiji. The course attracted 1,400 participants from Fiji and Pacific nations. Its main aim was to raise awareness on transparency and good governance under the provisions of UNCAC.

FNU’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr William May, highlighted that corruption is a serious crime that remains a key obstacle to the development of a nation. “The development funds that should be dedicated to vital education and health care are diverted into the hands of public officials and this impact’s the government’s ability to deliver basic services, causing greater inequality and poverty, if not managed well,” Dr May said.

The free MOOC anti-corruption course is aligned to the Government’s ratified commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and also aligned to the push against corruption in Fiji, the Pacific and globally under Transparency International’s policy commitments to Agenda 21’s SDG 16.

 Specifics of CLCT Integrity Fiji Wksp

At the UNCAC Workshop Samu Walosio and Grace Konrote who presented on Chapter 2 : Preventive Measures noted the provisions of Article 13. Participation of society in curbing corruption. It also enables CSOs to work with the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) in supporting the corruption complaints mechanism to enable the public to report corruption incidents.

Article 13 highlighted the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption. It is appreciated that FICAC had been very supportive of the MOOC Anti Corruption Online Free course offered through the Fiji National University

In Chapter III looking at “Criminalization and law enforcement”, Shalom Tehillatti and Maria Yavala noted that Article 33 looks specifically at the Protection of reporting persons

Each State Party shall consider incorporating into its domestic legal system appropriate measures to provide protection against any unjustified treatment for any person who reports in good faith and on reasonable grounds to the competent authorities any facts concerning offences established in accordance with this Convention

There is often a disjoint between what is written in our laws about the protection of whistleblowers and the actual practice of enforcing it. This is an area that needs to be strengthened.

CLCT Integrity Fiji will work closely with FICAC, Government agencies, corporate bodies and civil society to advocate on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption messages and interventions under the provisions of UNCAC.

Here are some papers from the UNCAC Civil Society Coalition that will be of great interest.

https://uncaccoalition.org/12th-irg-submission-advancing-uncac-implementation/

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/corruption/IRG/session12-first-resumed.html

https://uncaccoalition.org/12th-irg-submission-advancing-the-implementation-of-commitments/

https://uncaccoalition.org/recognizing-victims-of-corruption/

https://uncaccoalition.org/12th-irg-submission-tackling-corruption-related-to-environmental-crimes/

The UNCAC Coalition is the global civil society network for the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)

Do you have relevant news or a success story linked to the UNCAC that you would like to feature in the next newsletter? Send an email with the subject line "Newsletter" at info@uncaccoalition.org

Pacific Models in Small Island Nations Integrity Assessments

 Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, Laisa Tifere, Mosese Natuilagilagi, Sereima Takiveikata, Joseph Veramu (College of Humanities and Education, Fiji National University & CLCT INTEGRITY FIJI)

Introduction

The traditional National Integrity System (NIS) assessment used by Transparency International evaluates key ‘pillars’ in a country’s governance system, such as the judiciary, public sector, media, both in terms of their internal corruption risks and their contribution, as integrity systems, to preventing and fighting corruption in society. The rationale for this approach is that strengthening the National Integrity System promotes better governance across all aspects of a society and contributes to a more just nation.

Small and relatively isolated nations present challenges when applying an NIS assessment model, with all its pillars. For example, in small island nations, government functions are often integrated and centralised. Many nations do not have a fully functioning mainstream media, for example.

In Pacific Island States, there is often a disjoint between how well the pillar concepts fit with local culture. Cultural institutions, for example, especially in Melanesian and Polynesian nations, have a strong influence on ethical practice, such as the Fa’amatai in Samoa or the Fijian Chiefly system.

Transparency International New Zealand faced this challenge when trying to incorporate the Treaty of Waitangi and tikanga within the integrity systems in New Zealand.

CLCT Integrity Fiji and the College of Humanities & Education of the Fiji National University notes that traditional governance systems in the Fijian culture runs as a parallel system to the Westminster national governance system. Integrating variables from the traditional integrity system in the assessment tools will provide a more realistic picture of the NIS situation.

The CHE / FNU academics have provided these discussion notes under the following NIS assessment strategies.

1.1 Design of Pacific small nation NIS assessment should be flexible enough to ensure that the concept and approach best captures governance and integrity elements unique to the nations. This could include social and cultural integrity frameworks, social values and governance institutions.

 There is a strong Christian dimension that intertwines Fijian and Pacific cultural ethos. This dimension, together with culture, predicates how islanders ‘read’ the world and engage with notions of integrity and good governance. “Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost” Billy Graham.

Design and development of the NIS: The factors that are driving the assessment of NIS has to be from and of the people. We cannot assume that the people in the Pacific perceive the world in the same way as the people in the Metropolitan nations; they are different, they have their own cultures (Lafitau, pp1712 to 1717).

The indigenous people of the Pacific need to tell their stories. They need to articulate how the “integrity” concept is defined, implemented and assessed.  (Tuhiwai-Smith, 2012, pp 2) and (Vaai, 2017 pp18). They have their own views and ideas as a group of people with distinct languages, cultures, traditions and worldviews to share. However, the composition of their narratives was usually interpreted through non-Pacific cultural lenses (Vaai, 2017 pp 18, Smith, 2012, pp 2).

Pacific islanders also have their own set of values, skills and attitude that are being transmitted from one generation to another; this ensures the continuity of their society and along with it their history, value system and view of the universe. Baba, T. L., (1986).

The integrity assessment tools should be predicated on cultural variables that are “socially situated and demands the placing of the owner of the knowledge at the center. (This) knowledge system and its ethos, should be the basis of enquiry and understanding” (Nabobo- Baba, U. 2008).

1.2 NIS assessments should take close account of the country context. This may mean accounting for such things as relative progress for emerging democracies, size elements that affect centralisation and linkages between integrity elements.

1.3 Small nations’ NIS assessments need to include contextual vulnerabilities that can impact upon integrity resilience, such as environmental degradation; disaster risk, regional power dynamics; aid dependencies’ economic shocks, stubborn poverty and inequity; distance; digital poverty and variable literacy.

Baba stressed the need to understand the critical factors of ‘islandness’ which is the key to developing a theoretical framework that is crucial to guiding their development. Baba, T. L., (1986). To ensure that the NIS assessment accurately measures Pacific integrity systems, its objectives (of the assessment tools) should be understood by the people for which it was designed.

Given the pervasive influence of Colonial structures in our national integrity pillars, it is often the case that the cultural governance system exists as a parallel system with modern day Western pillars. In Pacific nations, the laws that govern the integrity pillars are written in legal English that most citizens do not understand. While national policy writers reference these laws when writing reports of how their nations are complying with various UN Conventions and Protocols (that Pacific nations are signatory to) the bulk of the people get by on their traditional integrity systems which is usually based on oral traditions!

Assessment should take cognizance of how traditional and the Westminster systems can complement each other and contribute to traditional integrity systems enriching the pillars that are to be measured.

A key issue raised by Baba that could be an underlining factor is the differences in the focus. Through their Faith, the people are concerned with the total change of their society based on Christian principles. This communal approach is quite different from the national integrity pillars that emphasize the individual’s role in complying with national laws.

While national integrity pillars, ensure citizens compliance through deterrent legal safeguards, the traditional system ensures integrity compliance through appealing to how anti-social behavior affects the society holistically. Risk management strategies, where the extended family and clan become social ‘policemen’, ensures that islanders adhere to societal standards of integrity.

The National Integrity System (as a construct of Government) focuses on the socio-economic wellbeing of the nation.

The traditional integrity system concentrates on the citizen as a holistic part of the extended family, clan and nation. When these multifaceted variables are taken into account, it will enable a more accurate assessment of the integrity pillars.

In a multicultural nation like Fiji which has gone through five coups, the democratic system is illiberal. If the NIS assessment tools are predicated strictly on liberal democracy, then the scores will be very low (when compared to advanced democracies like Germany or the US.)

One of the aims of the NISA is for nations to improve their integrity systems. It becomes self-defeating if the NISA is predicated on an advanced liberal democracy integrity system (rather than an emerging developing nation democratic system). It becomes an exercise in futility since we would already know the assessment scores at the outset!

These discussions on liberal and illiberal democracy point to the need for NIS assessment tools to be predicated on risk management rather than a purely compliance framework in its variables.

1.4 NIS assessments are more effective as advocacy tools when they encompass: • Clarity on the current state of corruption risk and integrity elements; • Consideration of the relative impact and importance of values driven outcomes and compliance driven outcomes; • Clarity in the scope (e.g. all sectors of society or public sector lead focus) • Closer focus on areas of higher risk/lower integrity; • Strategic engagement with key stakeholders throughout the NIS process; • Recommendations that are measurable and impactful, targeted and achievable; • Sustained advocacy on the recommendations; • Sustained monitoring, with key stakeholders, of progress against recommendations. 

1.5 A core element of any NISA for Pacific nations needs to be the interplay between public awareness and expectation, and the effectiveness of the institutions of integrity.

1.6 Any regional NIS assessment would benefit from having natural synchronicity with local and national reforms; regional and collective reforms and reforms needed to impact on forces/factors which affect the region but are external to it.

The notion of “thinking globally, acting locally”  in the context of integrity means that the people in their respective traditional communities are guided by their communal values of sharing and caring.

According to Mahina, (2018) we can look into the past, identify what worked then, contextualise it and use it for our betterment in the future.

Culture changes and can be integrated with the best of our Colonial heritage and other enduring values resulting from our globalized existence.

The important message is that traditional knowledge and governance strategies have evolved to become a dynamic system. It has stood the test of time and space. It must act as a beacon guiding people as they navigate the present and future (Mahina, 2018).

1.7 NIS assessments would benefit from integrated planning of impact objectives, and an evaluation framework that takes into account the various impact dimensions.

According to Nabobo-Baba one cannot and should not work with the indigenous people who make up more than 60% of the population without taking into account the: language, indigenous knowledge protocols, philosophies and their life principles (Nabobo-Baba, U. 2008).

The assessment tools should follow that framing by not measuring the current national integrity pillars as something intrinsic in itself. The tools should also assess the traditional and Western based integrity systems in a holistic manner. The integrity pillars assess the national governance system to ensure that it functions in a democratically dynamic way to benefit its citizens. The citizens using their traditional ethos engage with Government through their extended family and clan communal lens. This will ensure that the national integrity system encased in the Constitution and legal documents becomes a living functioning tool for promoting integrity. (The current situation is that these laws governing integrity pillars are written in legalistic English which the bulk of citizens cannot comprehend since they communicate mainly in their vernacular languages.)

Pacific regionalism and integrity systems

Through the Fiji National University which has students from various Pacific nations (and other local and regional Universities) research leading to publications can be undertaken on national integrity systems. Studies can also be undertaken on best practices in various island nations. This initiative can promote regionalism in enabling best practices to be adapted.

Reference

Baba, T. L., (1986) ‘Education in Small Island States of the Pacific: The search for alternatives’, in Equity and Diversity: Challenges for Educational Administrations, Record of proceedings of the sixth International Intervisitation Programme in Educational Administration (Ed Edwards, W. L.) August, 1986, Massey University, Palmerston North. Pp 79 – 84.

Mahina, H. O. (2018). Philosophying Past, Present and Future. Paper presented at the Inaugural Pacific Philosophy Conference (2018). Suva, Fiji.

Nabobo- Baba, U. (2008). Decolonising Framings in Pacific Research: Indigenous Fijian Vanua Research Framework as an Organic Response. University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Vol. 4, Iss. 2. pp. 140-154

Smith, L. T (2012) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Second Edition. Zed Books Ltd, The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE115RR, UK.

Vaai, U. L (2017). Relational Hermeneutics: Decolonising the Mindset and the Pacific Itulagi. University of the South Pacific Press. Suva. Fiji. pp 17-4

 

 

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.