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Confronting the Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century

Second World Assembly
November 12-15, 2000
São Paulo, Brazil
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Fernando Henrique Cardoso
President of Brazil

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Establishing a Global Network of Parliamentarians against Corruption

Organizers:
Parliamentary Centre (Canada)
World Bank Institute

Rapporteur:
Erin Davidge (Canada) Parliamentary Centre

Moderators:
Augustine Ruzindana (Uganda)
Member of Parliament
Rick Stapenhurst (U.S.)
World Bank Institute		 Presenters:
Son Chhay (Cambodia)
Member of Parliament
Augustine Ruzindana (Uganda)
Member of Parliament
Rick Stapenhurst (U.S.)
World Bank Institute
John Williams (Canada)-by video
Member of Parliament
The workshop provided a forum for a more in-depth discussion of issues and recommendations emerging from an earlier workshop on "How Can Parliaments Strengthen Accountability in the Fight Against Corruption?" The workshop also marked the official launch of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC).

Objectives:
  • To discuss and examine practical parliamentary actions to curb corruption
  • To facilitate and encourage networking among parliamentarians in curbing corruption
Rick Stapenhurst began the discussion by emphasizing the importance of networking among parliamentarians as an important means for fighting corruption. By sharing information and lessons learned on efforts to combat corruption, parliamentarians can draw upon the experience and ideas of neighboring countries and thereby avoid the pitfalls that others had encountered. This is even more important in the context of globalization, where the need to share information and cooperate across borders has increased in many ways. Corruption is no longer a purely national matter.

While governments have long been networking with each other, parliaments are new to the concept, with respect in particular to issue-based networking. Building active, effective, and sustainable networks is a challenge, but the chances of success are increased by having a clear focus, practical approaches, and a high level of leadership. The use of information technology will become an essential tool in sustaining parliamentary networks by facilitating communication and stretching scarce resources.

Augustine Ruzindana provided an introduction to the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC), with a focus on its creation, evolution, and the problems it has encountered. Launched in Uganda in February 1999, APNAC emerged from a regional seminar on "Parliament and Good Governance: Towards a New Agenda for Controlling Corruption in Africa." The 30 African parliamentarians who gathered for the seminar established the network to facilitate communications about corruption both locally and across national borders.

Since its launch, APNAC has recruited new members, produced newsletters, organized national workshops, and participated in various anti-corruption conferences with support from the World Bank Institute and the Parliamentary Centre. Ruzindana also noted that APNAC now has a constitution and a permanent secretariat housed in the Parliament of Uganda.

Ruzindana also identified some of the key problems confronting the network: resources are scarce; there is a high turnover of APNAC members as the result of parliamentary elections (due to which APNAC's constitution was amended to extend membership to former members of parliament); lack of information technology in many of the member countries, which inhibits the ability of the network to communicate.

Ruzindana stressed the importance of cooperating with organizations of civil society, and Miklos Marschall (Transparency International) also stressed the importance of networks being aware of each other, drawing on each other, and sharing resources.

Recommendations:

Participants agreed that the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) should seek to build an international network of parliamentarians organized, on a regional basis, to fight corruption and promote good governance. GOPAC would serve as a global point of contact, connecting and supporting the work of regional groups of parliamentarians promoting good governance and fighting corruption.

GOPAC activities should include:
  • Supporting the establishment and activities of regional networks within GOPAC.
  • Information sharing through the development and use of a Web site and e-mail.
  • Sponsoring of anti-corruption workshops and a global conference.
  • Cooperating with other international organizations with mutual interests.
  • Conducting research, monitoring progress, and identifying "best practices."
  • Establishing an Interim Coordinating Committee until a formal Board of Directors is elected.
The Parliamentary Centre in Ottawa, Canada, agreed to act as the Interim Secretariat of GOPAC and John Williams (MP, Canada) agreed to serve as Chair of the Interim Coordinating Committee.

Son Chhay and Sam Rainsy (MPs, Cambodia) agreed to lead the GOPAC initiative in Southeast Asia.

N.D. Tiwari, Member of Lok Sabha (India) and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, agreed through a written statement to work on the establishment of a regional body of GOPAC on the Indian sub-continent.

Michael Gorny (Russia) and Nwe Aung (Burma) agreed to pursue the GOPAC initiative in their respective regions.

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