We the undersigned civil society organisations[1], recognise the importance of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 as a strong and effective mechanism to fight corruption in the ASEAN region together with promoting transparency, accountability and people’s participation in governance.
The ASEAN Vision 2025 emphasises on strengthening democracy, good governance, and the rule of law, promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as combating corruption to uplift the standard of people in the ASEAN region. Reiterating this complementarity we call on ASEAN to incorporate the relevant SDG anti-corruption and good governance targets as key indicators in constructing the ASEAN Integrity Dialogue, the mechanism to promote anti-corruption work proposed in the ASEAN 2016-2025 work plan. This should specifically include targets related to tackling corruption and bribery, stopping illegal flow of finances within and out of the region, the enactment and implementation of right to information laws realising peoples’ right to search, receive and impart information, and building strong institutions, including a network of strong anti-corruption commissions in the ASEAN region embracing Jakarta principles.
All ASEAN governments should be accountable to their citizens in achieving these targets which they declared their commitment to by approving the SDGs in 2015. This is imperative considering the adoption of the ASEAN Economic Community which fosters open markets and a free flow of goods and services creating new challenges in upholding integrity and good governance.
The ASEAN secretariat should lead in monitoring its members’ commitments individually and collectively and should recognise the meaningful role that civil society has to play. This includes providing sufficient opportunities for CSOs to engage with their government and the ASEAN Secretariat in achieving the SDG targets and recognising the space for civil society in monitoring governments’ commitments.
The Signatories:
Asian Democracy Network
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development
Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism, Malaysia
Cooperation Committee for Cambodia
Luta Hamutuk and TI Focal Point, East Timor
Indonesia Global Compact Network
Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability
Proright Foundation, Thailand
The NGO Forum, Cambodia
Transparency International Cambodia
Transparency International Indonesia
Transparency International Malaysia
Towards Transparency Vietnam
Transparency International Secretariat
Yone Kyi Yar, Myanmar
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For a PDF version of this statement, please click here.
[1] 17 civil society organisations met in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 2nd and 3rd November to define an ASEAN advocacy strategy around SDG goal 16
