Strengthening democracy and rolling back corruption in the Pacific must be front of mind for Pacific leaders meeting with the US Secretary of State tomorrow.
Transparency International says the Pacific is facing a number of existential threats, so good governance is critical to open up opportunities for prosperity.
Transparency International (TI) has released its latest global corruption revealing rampant levels of corruption in the Pacific Photo: Transparency International
The watchdog group says governments must prioritise anti-corruption efforts by holding leaders accountable, opening up civic space, supporting whistleblowers and clamping down on corrupt businesses.
United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is meeting Pacific leaders tomorrow and Transparency says the U.S can help by prioritising governance measures in the Pacific in its aid.
Transparency's 2021 Pacific Global Corruption Barometer found that Pacific people see corruption as a growing problem in government and business.
The region is facing one of the highest bribery rates worldwide in accessing public services.
Two-thirds of those surveyed believe government contracts are secured through bribes and connections and see little control over the dominant extractives sector.
40 per cent believe that governments are often run by a few big interests, and over a quarter have been offered a bribe for their votes.
Pacific people believe they can be part of the solution, but feel they aren't meaningfully engaged in key decision-making processes.
