Heads of anti-corruption agencies from the Commonwealth’s 19 African member states convene in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 3-7, 2022 for a major conference aimed to step up regional corruption fight. Now in its 12th year, the Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in the Commonwealth Africa region will be assembled under the theme “Combating Corruption for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa.” It will come up with strategies to tackle corruption which has been an impediment to democracy, and ensure good and accountable governance. It is expected that 150 delegates will participate in the conference. Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, the conference will bring together members of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, senior government officials, relevant international organisations, civil society, policymakers, and development partners. Some specific expected outcomes of the conference shall be, among others, the adoption of innovative strategies towards corruption control, best practices from member countries and experts for achieving SDG 16 – which incorporates specific targets relating to curbing corruption, bribery, and illicit financial flows. Estimates from the African Development Bank (AfDB) show that Africa loses about $148 billion to corruption every year (AfDB, 2015). In addition, Africa loses more than $50 billion annually through illicit financial outflows – cross border exchanges of value, monetary or otherwise, which are illegally earned, transferred or used – according to the 2015 Report of the high level panel on illicit financial flows from Africa. In a press release about the above-mentioned conference, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland QC said that corruption is a serious threat to sustainable and equitable development. “Every dollar lost to corruption is a dollar lost to investing in a child’s education, healthcare or much-needed infrastructure. That is why the Commonwealth Secretariat has made preventing and countering corruption a top priority,” she observed. To do this, Scotland said, collaboration and cooperation between Commonwealth member states will be critical “if we are to successfully meet the challenge of corruption,” “By coming together, we can build the prosperous future we want for the generations to come. And the Commonwealth Secretariat stands ready to support member states in this endeavour as part of its mandate to strengthen democratic societies and good governance, and advance a free, just, and peaceful Commonwealth,” she said. Earlier, Rwanda’s Ombudsman, Madeleine Nirere told The New Times that Rwanda is a country that has good records in combating graft both on regional, continental, and global levels. She indicated that Rwanda ranks 4th in Africa and the first country in the East African Community in combating corruption, and this was thanks to the country’s zero-tolerance to corruption policy. Hosting the conference, she said, will be an occasion to take stock of the progress so far made in line with stemming corruption, but also devise strategies on how to address the remaining challenges in this regard. “This will reaffirm Rwanda’s great anti-graft commitment to always look for every means possible that can be used to reinforce its zero tolerance to corruption policy,” she remarked. The Conference has been held annually since its inception in 2011 and is part of the Secretariat’s mission to help governments, judges, the police, and other public institutions tackle systemic corruption by sharing best practices, training, and policy research. Scotland commends Rwanda’s CHOGM2022 preparations Meanwhile, on May 2, 2022, President Kagame received Scotland, who is in Kigali for this conference. They discussed the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2022 (CHOGM2022) to be hosted by Rwanda. “Im delighted to be back in Rwanda and it is with confidence and enthusiasm that I look ahead to a face-to-face CHOGM2022 in Kigali next month. I commend the government and the people of Rwanda for their outstanding commitment and dedication to delivering an exemplary CHOGM. “This is the first CHOGM to be held in Africa for over a decade and I thank all Rwandans for their grace and fortitude in undertaking such detailed preparations to ensure a safe, secure and productive CHOGM2022 that drives the Commonwealth forward during these trying times,” she observed.
