Kiribati hosts first regional anti-corruption conference

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau is hosting Pacific leaders and representatives to the region’s first ever Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Conference this week.

The Prime Ministers of the Cook Islands and Samoa are among leaders traveling to Kiribati, along with senior Ministers, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and senior anti-corruption officials. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Commonwealth Secretariat will also be represented.

President Maamau says: “Kiribati has convened this inaugural regional meeting of leaders on anti-corruption to gauge commitment at the highest political level to drive a regional coordinated action on corruption, in keeping with our national commitments to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and our Blue Pacific long-standing commitments to good governance and combatting of corruption embedded in a number of Pacific Islands Forum declarations.

They'll discuss building an anti-corruption framework, the role of tradition and culture in combatting corruption and the economic and social impact of corruption on small island economies.

The Leaders’ Retreat on 5 February, will consider adoption of a new guiding statement for anti-corruption in the Pacific, the Teieniwa Vision.