Mauritius: Govt Hosts Global Conference on Anti-Corruption Reform in Small Island Developing States

The Global Conference on Anti-Corruption Reform in Small Island States (SIDS) opened this morning at Le Méridien Hotel, Pointe Aux Piments. It is organised at the initiative of the Ministry of Financial Services, Good Governance and Institutional Reforms in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The main objective is to support follow-up action and common recommendations for Island States arising during the first cycle of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Review Mechanism. It will act as a platform for sharing technical experiences to address challenges in anti-corruption reform and identify opportunities for collaboration among SIDS.

The 5-day Conference also aims at developing a number of identified principles to guide anti-corruption reform in SIDS, including technical assistance needs. It will also adopt a Communiqué outlining points of action for anti-corruption reform to further implement UNCAC in Island States. This communiqué could be further considered during the forthcoming Conference of States Parties (COSP) of the UN Convention against Corruption.

The Global Conference is designed to be conducted in an interactive manner and will include substantive presentations, panel and group discussions and plenary sessions. Introductory presentations will be provided by UNODC and UNDP outlining the aims of each session.

Heads of agencies and other senior anti-corruption officials from SIDS are participating in this conference. Other delegates include focal points for the Review Mechanism on the implementation of the UNCAC and other anti-corruption practitioners.

The following countries are represented at the conference: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Cap Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papa New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tomé and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Additionally, Sri Lanka and Madagascar have also be invited to participate.

Participants are expected to present their national experiences on selected topics on the agenda and/or to contribute to the discussions throughout the conference which will end on August 21.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201508180780.html