Rajeev Kunwar
A doctoral student of Political science
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Abstract:
A coalition against corruption would bolster peace and promote inclusive society.
At overarching levels problems of corruption endanger peace, and youth knows very well these maladies in governance and government hinder their genuine potential and integrity. It is time to transcend rhetoric and verbal commitment into realization of a corruption-free society. Anticorruption discourse could think in terms, conditions, levels or standards and quality of peace in the state and society.
This article articulates simple correlations in anticorruption for peace, a requisite and efficacious for prosperity multiplier and wealth sustainability.
Key words: Anticorruption for peace, public integrity in public affairs, good politics, political virtues, common ethics.
It is to be kindly noted that the United Nations commemorates an annual event International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9. Since 2003 we are globally observing this day when the United Nations Convention against Corruption, with 186 state parties as of August 2018, had been adopted by the UN General Assembly.
UN is instrumental to mark in recognizing a multi-year theme “United against Corruption.” This campaign complements and supports the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. To achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, specific to Global Goal 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, to provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels will be unmet if parties and partners are callous to issues of corruption at national and international levels. Corruption does not discriminate rich and poor countries.
But it hurts the poor economics the most with unseen challenges and problems. Corruption contributes amoral politics and aggravates poverty levels and income disparity which culminates the fragile countries and turn them into failed states.
In brief, corruption creates resentment and anger which would reach boiling point, then it jeopardizes peace and exacerbates dismal human conditions.
Corruption is not the intrinsic habits of the state and we are not at the mercy of its diktats. The action against corruption begins from an immediate human conduct.
This action benefits disproportionately to human society. Contemporary youth plays an unparalleled role to strengthen accountability and recommend innovative anticorruption solutions and knowledge. UN anticipates youth participation in three areas of corruption – acknowledging corruption as an impediment to SDGs, youth being the change agent or catalyst for justice, and taking, leading and being a difference in action against venality.
Youth are aware of distortions of corruption that negates sanity and humanity.
Their significant role would be enabling in creating a corruption free society in modern times and circumstances. Thirdly, knowing and understanding corruption is inadequate. Now it is time to take urgent action and make responsible ones accountable and even those who tread the quick routes of service takers to be curbed. In these perceptions, public integrity in public affairs inculcates in youth of the 21st century.
A constant, persistent and consistent anticorruption advocacy in an open society unveils the verses of corruption. It emboldens initiatives against corrosion of good governance, the rule of law and justice. Every citizen has a multifaceted contemplation of anticorruption particularly focusing on the business of bureaucracy. But the larger symptoms of corruption are common and widespread in polity, economy, society, security and culture. It is daunting given the fact and a reality in numbers of corruption cases, rankings and analyses of a country in corruption perceptions index, and a flow of illicit money – paper or digital.
The fight against this lethal and silent phenomenon tolls on human rights, human development and human security. We are witnessing erosion of sensitivities of corruption in different manifestations and forms. Our numbness and naiveté to corruption have bad consequences which are varied and multiple. Corruption is responsible for the poor quality of life, burdens economy and makes law and order vulnerable.
Nepal’s national narrative is replete with sagacious counsels on just governance, government based on the consent of the people and culpability of mutual impunity of bribe takers and bribe givers. Our local knowledge, wisdom and actions are provides impetus to maintain simplicity of humane governance. In this regard a clarion call on local national integrity forces us to rethink whether churning out legal solutions and measures is enough to curb and control the business of corruption.
Anticorruption for peace has become imperative to stabilize and normalize government and governance of a day. This humane agenda cannot be waged by war. A war cannot be justified under the pretext of corruption, bad governance and a crept cronyism of the so-called ‘bourgeois democracy.’ Crime, conflict and warfare are the upshot of abetting corruption in a society. So mitigation of corruption levels sooner the better would avoid endangering citizens from the violence it perpetrates.
In the aftermath of the downfall of the ancien régime in Nepal, the political set-up has changed. But the essence remains the same. It preoccupies maintaining interests of power, position and perk by aspiring leaders at the pinnacle of the state and society. Political culture of breaching trust is a political faux pas of a bad demeanor.
Politics is unethical or immoral if power corrupts. It would be hapless if a fountainhead of corruption is politics or its politicking. Furthermore, corruption undermines peace, democracy and integrity. Political rhetoric on a zero-tolerance against corruption often sustains its commitment. But unanimous political positions cannot guarantee the durability of peace politics, peace building and peace promotion when anticorruption drive is left in inaction. A national, regional and international concert time and again forges on a strong and robust understanding, pledge and actionable commitment. And those noble and lofty principled practices if we do witness today would bolster our journey together for anticorruption, peace and development.
In the context of national integrity system, an honest, responsive, prompt and high performing public institution that delivers critical and requisite services and goods in public interest is a must do’s. Service provider and service seeker relations are to be based on mutual trust and justice. A fair, impartial and equity oriented health, education, and income generating sectors apart from provisioning bare necessities of life support peace of minds. Then it can ensure credibility of the government and governance.
Fostering culture of anticorruption benefits unequivocally political society, civil society and international society. A sincere political culture creates conducive environment for genuine politics, economic development and prosperity. Thus this political socialization promotes perpetual peace and justice within, between and among nations. It is an urgency to act and enforce existing laws, to abide by the code of conduct and to perform the entrusted functions of institutions.
Our ethical and moral crusades in human society are about establishing a good life, virtuous society and the welfare state. It could be a vision of the ideal state.
Achieving a lean public management and clean governance is a tall mission in the worldly affairs. Otherwise the reservoir of corruption getting continuum from the old state to a new state of affairs pollutes governmentality. Ultimately it increases the sickness in society that loses hope and optimism when the obesity of state does not prevent and cure the corruption phenomenon.
What are the solutions in contemplation for so long to cure this problem? Simply when law enforcement is a prior task to control in the first step by its agency, why we have multiple agencies to control corruption? A laws arm can arrest anyone even the powerful and the commoners to imprison with a due process of law if illicit act has been committed.
Legal measures and punitive process would have been ensued to acquit or convict. As allegations are labeled against scot freeing while in investigation process or delays in assemblage of the information or facts and figures? This is not the end note given the structural inadequacies or reasons unforeseen. Do we need extra-constitutional agencies as in the past which has been vehemently criticized? Is it the excuse of political transition to let us suffer severely now? State of affairs is no good to many and every citizen expresses their angst at our national integrity which is in a great risk.
All worries that the state and society is evading meritocracy that treats some above others. This is what every sane talk in the country murmurs. People’s ownership would lose and credibility wanes which invite systemic disenchantment and pessimism on political hope. Woes in government and governance are sapping the real strength of our old heritage of the country, our private ethos, values and norms.
Nepal would have been a small power but its mere lip service will not fulfill our destiny. The beauty of democracy is enjoyed if politics provide way to virtues not vices. The old public decorum and civility is in danger of collateral damage and we cannot think of early repair to peace of minds.
Daily media reports are rife with corruption activities in three tiered federal governance system of Nepal. It is our integrity that is challenged often. There is a vogue to say no to corruption. Our every no to corruption counting is cliché when our personal escapes to our immediate interest avoid this gruesome general affairs and general symptoms. Additionally, there should be no taxation without anticorruption in action. Our password of public affairs is public integrity.
Finally, our democratic peace in commons is in threat both at national and international level if fair, impartial and just system does not set in with utmost public interest. Only hope can save us from the leaders that their political will endures the mission to deliver justice and relief from unwanted sufferings of our hardened realities.
# Text courtesy: Nepal Council of World Affairs Annual Journal, 2020.
# Thanks the author and the NCWA team: Ed. Upadhyaya. N. P.
References:
“Corruption and Security”. Statement by Mr. François Delattre, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Security Council. 10 September, 2018.
Delia Ferreira, Chair, Transparency International, Mari Kiviniemi, Deputy
Secretary-General, OECD, Sanjay Pradan, CEO, Open Government Partnership, and Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation Denmark. “Building a Peaceful and Safer World through Collective Action in the Fight against Corruption”, 18 Oct., 2018.
IACC Team, “The Copenhagen Declaration–Stand Together for Peace, Security and Development”, 24 October, 2018.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Anti-corruption Action Essential to Building Peace, Protecting Human Rights, Ensuring Sustainable Development”. 7 December 2018.
Vision of Humanity, “Five Charts on how Corruption Influences Peace”, http:// visionofhumanity.org/news/five-charts-corruption-impacts-peace/ accessed on 4 February, 2020.
https://voices.transparency.org/building-a-peaceful-and-safer-world-through-collective-action-in-the-fight-against-corruption-84523edc8982?gi=2621696beeab accessed on 4 February, 2020.
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2018/December/anti-corruption-action-essential-to-building-peace–protecting-human-rights–ensuring- sustainable-development.html accessed on 4 February, 2020.
https://onu.delegfrance.org/Corruption-is-a-threat-to-peace-and-development