West and Central African Youths commit to fighting Corruption | #AfricaAgainstCorruption #DGTrends

Young people from West and Central Africa come together to boost their commitment to the prevention and fight against corruption on the continent.

 

On the initiative of the African Union (AU) and under the auspices of the Youth Engagement Strategy of the African Governance Architecture (AGA), they have been staying in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, since Wednesday in the Youth Regional Consultations framework on their involvement in the fight against corruption. The theme for this year is “maximizing youth capacity in the fight against corruption in Africa”.

 

Togo was represented by two young people including Alice GOZA, President of the International Association of Women and Young Leaders (AIFJL) and Paul Etsè AFFALA, Executive Secretary of Alternative Leadership Group (ALG).

Paul Affala with Francis Ben Kaifala,

Paul Affala (right) with Francis Ben Kaifala, Commissioner of the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission.

The purpose of these Consultations is to provide a collaborative, open and inclusive space to leverage and encourage meaningful youth participation in the fight against corruption in Africa.

 

Specifically, this meeting provided participants with a platform for intergenerational reflection on the scourge of corruption in Africa and its various manifestations as a governance deficit; a foundation of understanding about corruption as a militant factor for meaningful engagement and development of young people; the assessment of continental, regional and national frameworks and institutions in the fight against corruption; and an assessment and documentation of youth contributions to prevention and the fight against corruption through individual activism and collection efforts.

 

It will also strengthen youth capacity in preventing and combating corruption, including by forming effective alliances with various national, regional and continental actors; and to provide them with concrete strategies and innovative initiatives at national, regional and continental levels for meaningful engagement in sustainable prevention and the fight against corruption.

 

Participants at the meeting will discuss several relevant sub-themes namely “ Corruption in Africa: a key factor of governance deficits”; “ Evaluation of normative and institutional anti-corruption frameworks at the continental, regional and national levels”; “Harnessing young people’s capacities to fight corruption: lessons from the front lines”; “ Promote concerted action for the fight against corruption”.

Alice Goza with Francis Ben Kaifala

Alice Goza (left) with Francis Ben Kaifala.

 

For Paul Etsè AFFALA: “Young people are a key link in social change, economic development and technical progress. Their imagination, their ideals, their vision and their considerable energy are essential to the development of the societies in which they live. Therefore, this open and inclusive collaborative space will build on and encourage their meaningful participation in the fight against corruption in Africa.“

 

“Corruption is a problem for Africa in terms of governance, it disproportionately affects people living in poverty and those whose voices are marginalized, the vast majority being young people and women, and therefore hindering work. what we do for political participation and the development of women and young people. This is a problem that deserves our full attention and we are here for this consultation not only to meet the experts on the issue, but also to make concrete proposals so that women and young people can participate not as victims but as victims. key players in the fight against corruption in Africa,“ said Alice GOZA of the AIFJL.

 

An anti-corruption training program is also planned to enable participants to learn and improve on emerging issues in the area of ​​global accountability and transparency, particularly in Africa.

 

Recall that the theme of the AU this year to fight corruption in Africa is: ” Win the fight against corruption: a sustainable path for the transformation of Africa”.

Partial view of the participants at the meeting

Cross-section of the participants at the meeting

 

Corruption, a global phenomenon, continues to be at the heart of governance deficits in Africa. This is undoubtedly a daunting challenge for good governance, sustainable economic growth, peace, stability and development in Africa. Corruption continues to negatively impede efforts to promote democratic governance, socio-economic transformation, peace and security in AU member states.

 

According to the report of the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, commonly known as the Mbeki Report, Africa loses more than fifty (50) billion US dollars each year through illicit financial flows. This huge loss of resources continues to have a negative impact on the continent’s development efforts if sustained efforts are not made to reduce the scale of this phenomenon.

 

Source: Civil Society Media

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