Corruption And Importance Of Public Participation In Preventing It

Shanul Singh & Sanjoli Sharma, Manav Rachna University

ABSTRACT

Fighting corruption is a bit like renovating a rundown house – it's a big job that takes time and involves fixing many different parts. You have to change how the government operates, update the rules, and even shift people's attitudes towards honesty. It's a slow process, not something that happens overnight. That's where groups outside of the government, like community organizations, come in. They play a crucial role in this fight by doing various things. They educate people about corruption, work to prevent it from happening, and make sure the government is doing its job properly. They also keep an eye on the rules to ensure they're being followed.

These groups empower ordinary people to get involved and have a say in what the government does. Sometimes, they even pressure the government to keep its promises on tackling corruption. However, in some places, governments don't like these groups because they expose corruption. So, they try to hinder their work, which makes fighting corruption even more challenging. When community organizations (csos) are held back from doing their important work, it hurts everyone. They need the freedom to join together, speak up, and share their ideas without fear.

To tackle this problem, in 2014, the human rights council made a plan (called resolution 27/24) to help protect the rights of these groups. They asked the United Nations to study the issue and come up with ideas to make things better. The study says that people should have a say in making laws and policies, be able to criticize the government, and suggest ways to make things fairer for everyone. This idea of letting people have a say in how their country is run is important worldwide. Even though it's mentioned in international agreements like the international covenant on civil and political rights, it's not always clear how countries should make it happen. So, the United Nations gives guidance to help countries follow through on their promises. In Europe, there's a guide called the code of good practice for civil participation in the decision-making process. It helps countries understand how to involve people in decisions that affect them. While it's not a strict rule, it has helped countries work towards more inclusive decision-making. Looking ahead, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development recognizes that fighting corruption and building better institutions go hand in hand with giving everyone a voice. Without people participating, anti-corruption efforts won't succeed.

And this isn't new. The un convention against corruption has always said that involving civil society is key to fighting corruption. It pushes governments to be more transparent and listen to what people have to say. Peter eigen, co-founder of transparency international, emphasizes that only when the government, businesses, and civil society work together can we achieve transparency and accountability in governance. This collaboration is crucial not just for fighting corruption, but also for addressing other global challenges like injustice, poverty, violence, environmental destruction, and climate change.

As trust in governments' anti-corruption efforts decreases, it becomes even more important to support and empower civil society to take part in these efforts. Civil society organizations (CSOS) are gearing up to promote participation at the upcoming conference of states parties to the united nations convention against corruption (UNCAC). This will be the first time that mechanisms for CSO participation in implementing the UNCAC will be discussed in a plenary session. Additionally, a side event will focus on the role of civil society in anti-corruption activities. There's ample evidence to show that meaningful involvement of civil society leads to better governance and success in combating corruption. What's needed now is for governments to fully commit to enabling participation and to promise to consult civil society in all aspects of developing, implementing, and monitoring corruption policies.