BY MORRIS NAFU
Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) has issued a strong call for urgent action against corruption across the region.
Rodney Kingmele, chairman of TSI and spokesperson for Transparency International Pacific, told a press conference yesterday that ‘corruption undermines political leadership, public and private sectors, and civil society, diminishing the aspirations of our region’.
Drawing on findings from the Global Corruption Barometer Pacific 2021, Kingmele highlighted that corruption remains a major concern for Pacific peoples.
“If left unchecked, it threatens to worsen, fueling social disorder, diverting public funds to private interests, and undermining democracy and peace.”
He warned that corruption also weakens climate finance governance, blocking communities from benefiting from their natural resources and hindering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Vulnerable groups – women, children, people with disabilities – bear the brunt of corruption’s social and economic costs, with gendered corruption deepening inequality and violating human rights.
Sexual corruption, where those in power demand sexual favours for services, is a serious problem across the Pacific.
Bribes are often required to access essential services like health and education, while unfair laws and undue influence limit citizens’ political participation and access to information.
Kingmele called for stronger integrity in political leadership and electoral processes, urging leaders to ensure voters have the knowledge and information needed to make informed choices.
He stressed the importance of civil society organisations in raising awareness and supporting the implementation of the 2050 Strategy.
Pacific leaders have made commitments through frameworks like SDG 16, the Boy Declaration on Regional Security, and the Teieniwa Vision endorsed in 2021.
While progress has been made in anti-corruption strategies and transparency measures, Kingmele said much more remains to be done.
“Governments must bring communities along in this journey,” he said.
“We call on our leaders to show greater urgency, determination, and political will to fulfill their anti-corruption commitments, to report transparently to Pacific peoples, and to work closely with civil society.”
As the Forum meeting unfolds, Transparency Solomon Islands urges Pacific leaders to prioritise reforms on beneficial ownership transparency, right to information laws, political integrity, and electoral processes to safeguard the future of the Blue Pacific.
