FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2022 | INTEGRITY COMMISSION 2022 FEATURE 2 THE PRIME MINISTER - The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, ON, MP THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION The Hon. Mark Golding, MP It is with great pleasure that I join the Integrity Commission in celebrating International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) under the theme, “UNCAC AT 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.” The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was established in 2003 to focus on preventive measures against corruption, including by criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, technical assistance and information exchange. It remains the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. Jamaica became a signatory to the UNCAC in 2003, and later ratified it in 2008. Fighting corruption remains a global concern as it contributes to instability and poverty in developed and developing states. Jamaica is not spared, as it is estimated that each year, millions of Jamaican taxpayers’ dollars are lost to corruption, retarding national growth and development. In recent years, there have unfortunately been numerous official investigative reports documenting various forms of corruption across the public sector. This malfeasance threatens the legitimacy of the state, its public institutions, public officials and political representatives. Meaningful action against corruption is of growing importance, as our citizens are becoming increasingly despondent and cynical in the light of the apparent impunity with which it has been occurring. The Integrity Commission must play the leading role in assuring the society of the effectiveness of our national institutions to tackle corruption. I look forward to the work of the Integrity Commission in raising awareness for the work of the Commission as we observe IACD 2022. CHAIRMAN, INTEGRITY COMMISSION The Hon. Mr Justice (Ret’d) Seymour Panton, OJ, CD Jamaica can be corruption-free. Jamaica must become corruption-free. The Integrity Commission is determined that being corruption-free should become the norm. And the Integrity Commission is working at this – step by step. The Integrity Commission Act is aimed at keeping public officials honest, straight-forward, and accountable in all their dealings with the public and the public purse. There should be no doubt as to who is a public official as the law provides an elaborate definition. Nevertheless, the officers of the Integrity Commission have been reasonably busy sensitizing the officials themselves as well as the general public in this regard. Jamaica’s public officials are fully aware of what is required of them. They know what they cannot lawfully do. They also know that there are penalties for breaches. Although the law is aimed at public officials, this does not mean that private individuals are exempted from consideration or involvement as regards integrity. The simple fact is that public officials were once private individuals, and they are likely to return to that status at some time. If persons in private life conduct themselves in an honest manner, practising strong moral principles, they are likely to continue in that vein if they become public officials. It is therefore very important that in electing, selecting or appointing public officials, these considerations should be taken into account. Dubious characters ought not to be put forward for election to public offices. Indeed, no one should be put forward for elective office merely because of that person’s electability. In the same way, persons who are being recommended for appointment to public boards should be known to be upstanding citizens committed to honesty and openness. Individuals who are known to be shady and corrupt in private life will be shady and corrupt in public life. In ensuring incorruptibility, our homes, schools, churches, and private organizations have an important and continuous role to play in instilling wholesome values in our people. In my view, this is the strategy that will bring about a generational change. It is not a task for the Integrity Commission alone. The entire society needs to participate in the process, and the Integrity Commission is seeking to make private and public institutions and organizations conscious of the need for collaboration and cooperation in this regard. Poverty does not of itself cause corruption. However, corruption causes poverty. Private individuals should not be seeking wealth or its increase at the expense of the State. Private individuals should not be encouraging or inciting public officials to act, or not act, in an illegal or dishonest manner in order to benefit themselves and or others, including the public officials themselves. Acts such as these sap the nation’s resources, energy and spirit. Therefore, let us unite and cooperate with each other to rid the society of unwholesome and corrupt activities that cause a stench over our land. This year’s theme for International Anti-Corruption Day 2022, UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World against Corruption, reminds us that concerted effort is required in the fight against corruption. Good governance calls for us as leaders to ensure that the necessary legislation, statutes and polices are in place to guide our citizens in combatting corruption and the Jamaican government has done much in this area. However, while a solid anti-corruption framework is the foundation of any country’s fight against corruption, it is not the only element of this fight. The actions by members of the various sectors of society must build on this foundation. In the public sector, we must exercise care in our management of public resources to ensure that these resources are used for the benefit of all Jamaicans. We must also stand ready to show that our stewardship is guided by the principles of integrity and accountability in all our doings. The private sector should be transparent in its activities and members of civil society also have a role to play in this effort. I take this opportunity to salute the Integrity Commission— Commissioners, Executive Director and Staff—for their efforts to educate our society about combatting corruption. It is my hope that in commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day the people of Jamaica will be energized to unite with the rest of the world in the fight against corruption. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Hon. Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, CD, MP THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE Sen. the Hon. Thomas Tavares-Finson, OJ, CD, QC, JP Corruption, in all its forms, is a blight on society and all well-thinking people would do well to eschew this scourge. Corruption is a global problem and in order to eradicate it we must fight it on a global scale. By being party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Jamaica has shown that we are committed to the global fight. To that end, Jamaica has enacted legislation aimed at preventing and combatting corruption and instituted policies “to promote integrity, accountability and proper management of public affairs and public property.” We have also empowered institutions that have been tasked specifically with addressing this issue in our society. These efforts at the national and international levels will be negated, however, if they are not supported by individual and community action. We, as individual citizens, must recognize that we have a role to play in the anti-corruption fight. We must take the steps necessary to ensure we do not participate in corrupt activities no matter how innocuous they appear. I am pleased to acknowledge the work being undertaken by the Integrity Commission in this fight against corruption, in particular in the area of public awareness. I enjoin all Jamaicans to join in this fight. I extend warm greetings to the Integrity Commission as Jamaica joins the global community to mark International Anti-Corruption Day in collaboration with the United Nations, under the theme “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.” The Jamaican Government continues to stand firmly in support of anti-corruption measures, which continue to strengthen order and cohesiveness within our society and uphold the principles of democracy through transparency. As Jamaica celebrates 60 years of Independence, we acknowledge the strides we have made in fighting corruption. As part of our demonstrated commitment to eliminating corruption, we passed the Integrity Commission Act, which established the Integrity Commission, an institution of which we are very proud. The commission has done an outstanding job in increasing awareness and understanding of the anti-corruption framework, reinforcing this government’s firm stance on the principles of accountability. Indeed, accountability, transparency and integrity are hallmarks of all self-respecting democracies, and these principles must always be promoted and upheld in furtherance of good governance, social cohesion, and economic advancement. As we commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, we reaffirm Jamaica’s unwavering commitment to corruption prevention as we work to build a strong, peaceful, and prosperous nation characterized by trust, accountability, results and citizen satisfaction. Happy International Anti-Corruption Day.
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