International Anti-Corruption Day today

MANILA: By virtue of Resolution 58/4 dated October 31, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly designated December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness against corruption and the role of the United Nations Convention in the fight against this complex social, political, and economic phenomenon.

The World Bank (WB) and the Transparency International (TI), a global civil society organization that serve as the lead agency in the fight against corruption, define corruption as “the use and abuse of one’s authority/position for personal gain.”

Corruption occurs in both the public and private sectors, often with the complicity of individuals from both sectors. This situation affects everyone, especially those whose daily survival depends on the integrity of people vested with authority and entrusted with resources that are intended to benefit the greater number of constituents.

Corruption is as old as time, as ancient history tells of corruption in early Rome. Over the years, corruption has grown both in geographic extent and intensity, and has become so intricately woven in the social, political, and economic fibers of societies.

Recognizing that corruption robs the government of vital revenues that can fuel its programs and projects, the government has called for transparency and greater accountability in all government agencies to establish reforms that will restore the people’s trust and private partners’ confidence in our institutions.

The role of every citizen in eliminating corruption is crucial and non-government and other community organizations are urged to encourage public understanding of the anatomy of corruption and what every individual can do to fight this malady.