The role of a national integrity system in fighting corruption 1 (original) (raw)

1997, Commonwealth Law Bulletin

The issue of corruption has come to center stage. The economic consequences of pervasive corruption, and recent trends toward democratization, have increased the pressure for accountability and transparency from those in public office. This paper does not suggest that there are any easy solutions or models that can be applied in the fight against corruption; nor does it suggest that any country has yet designed an ideal model, or indeed, that such an ideal model exists. What this paper does argue is that while each country or region is unique in its own history and culture, its political systems, and its stage of economic and social development, similarities do exist and that experience and lessons are often transferable. A "national integrity system" is proposed as a comprehensive method of fighting corruption. It comprises eight pillars (public awareness, public anti-corruption strategies, public participation, "watchdog" agencies, the judiciary, the media, the private sector, and international cooperation) which are interdependent. Establishing and strengthening such an integrity system requires identifying opportunities for reinforcing and utilizing each of these pillars in the fight against corruption.

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