The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has conducted a one-day anti-corruption training for key integrity stakeholders, held in Monrovia on 3 October 2018.

Facilitated by Mr. Euy-Whan Kim, UNDP Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor and formerly Director-General of the Korean Independent Commission Against Corruption, the “Integrity Workshop for Anti-Corruption Strategies” aimed at supporting anti-corruption oriented institutions and activists to acquire knowledge, exchange views and formulate ideas on ongoing and future Anti-Corruption initiatives in Liberia.

At least 30 participants representing a wide variety of integrity advancing institutions including the Public Procurement Concessions Commission (PPCC), the General Audit Commission (GAC), the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), the Governance Commission (GC), the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), the National Police as well as representatives from select Civil Society organizations, attended the one-day event at the One United Nations House, PAP in Sinkor.

Key workshop messages highlighted that: i) political will and behavioral change are essential starting points in successfully combating corruption, not necessarily vast amounts of anti-corruption related financial resources, manpower and equipment; ii) Prevention measures tend to be more inexpensive, less contentious and comparatively easier to achieve than enforcement and investigation related initiatives; iii) Design and introduction of a competitive recruitment systems that attract very committed, strong and competent civil servants is crucial to establish a high performing, honest, public sector.

In addition, Mr. Kim firmly underlined the value of increased empowerment and engagement of civil society while mainstreaming corruption learning into the curriculum of the education system to deepen the involvement of the younger generation in the fight against corruption.

The workshop was much appreciated and considered to be very successful with an overwhelmingly positive evaluation result.