Campaign to Celebrate Honest Public Services Launched in Nouakchott

30 June 2018
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

Nouakchott — The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) launched today in Nouakchott, Mauritania, the #HonestService campaign which aims to celebrate positive, corruption-free interactions between public servants and users of public services in Africa.

The campaign, which will involve young people across the Continent, will gather information emanating from a positive discussion that encourages average African citizens, who engage with public services on a daily basis, to put forward exemplary public service they encounter in their quest for healthcare, education, employment opportunities and many other dimensions of their lives.

"The widespread narrative about corruption in African public services has inadvertently failed to acknowledge performant public servants who, on the contrary, have been serving their countries with integrity, upholding the public service ethics of fairness, equity and integrity, and have avoided falling into the corruption trap, " said Vera Songwe, ECA Executive Secretary in the lead up to the launch.

"Such individuals are however, critical in making Africa work and in turning the wheels of Africa's progress," she added.

Earlier this week, Ms Songwe warned the Executive Council Session of the 31st AU Summit of the "need to be aware that Africa will not be able to seize the transformation opportunities highlighted by regional and global development frameworks" if the problem of corruption persists.

Estimates indicate that in 2015, up to 22 per cent of the population in Africa who interacted with a public service had to pay a bribe, mostly to the police and the courts.

With public service being one of the most active and visible connecting links between the State and the people, widespread corruption could have a significant public impact on governments' perception.

The campaign is social-media driven and will last six months from July to December 2018. Additionally, it will take place in the framework of the 2018 African Union's theme of the year: "Winning the fight against corruption, a sustainable path to Africa's transformation".

Present at today's launch was Lilia Hachem Naas, Director of the ECA Office for North Africa, Adam El Hiraika, Director of the ECA Macroeconomic Division; Sid'Ahmed Bouh, Advisor to the Minister of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed El Mamy, Deputy Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Mauritania.

Join the conversation

#HonestService on twitter @ECA_Official

Read the original article on UNECA.

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