afrol News, 15 October - Africa has been urged to think outside the box and be practical if the continent is to root out corruption.

Scholars, policy makers and civil society leaders from within and outside Africa are currently meeting in Addis Ababa at a three-day UN-sponsored conference aimed at giving momentum to the fight against corruption on continent.

It is vital for Africans to “regain the discourse and agenda on anti-corruption in Africa” and “explore ways by which can effectively tackle the problem,” UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Deputy Executive Secretary of ECA Lalla Ben Barka told conference on “Institutions, Culture and Corruption in Africa” which opened Monday.

She stressed need for Africans to “think outside the box” in tackling the problem and urged delegates to “come up with practical suggestions and policy options on how we can move the anti-corruption drive ahead in Africa.”

Conference, jointly organised by UNECA and Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa is (CODESRIA), an independent pan-African research organisation, is one of key events marking Commission’s 50th anniversary.

“The problem of corruption remains intractable in many African countries, and it is widely acknowledged that there is a need for more innovative, creative and strategic approaches to deal with it,” UNECA said in a news release.

Commission is currently at the forefront of regional anti-corruption agenda and has adopted a holistic approach that includes engaging major stakeholders, such as judiciary, national anti-corruption institutions, parliament and pan-African body of national anti-corruption institutions in Africa.

In 2006 and 2007 UNECA conducted a study on “Deepening Judiciary Effectiveness in Combating Corruption” and convened two ad hoc expert meetings on its findings. Report on study and its related expert meetings are yet to be published and disseminated.

Commission is also currently undertaking a study assessing efficiency and impact of national anti-corruption institutions in Africa. In February, commission is expected to convene an ad hoc expert group meeting of heads of national anti-corruption institutions to present the findings of that study.

In addition, UNECA will also undertake training workshops for civil society organisations on monitoring and reporting corruption, first of which will convene on 11-12 November in Kampala, Uganda.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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