Tripoli, Libya - 17 December 2022
States cannot fight corruption alone; an engagement from the private sector is always needed. This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day marked on the 9th of December has the theme of “Uniting the World Against Corruption,” which seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development. At its core is the notion that tackling this crime is the right and responsibility of everyone, and that only through cooperation and the involvement of each and every person and institution can we overcome the negative impact of this crime. States, government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, media representatives, the private sector, civil society, academia, the public and youth alike all have a role to play in this.
UNODC is working with Libya as part of the project on “Strengthening the private sector capacity to prevent corruption and enhance integrity in the Arab Countries”, funded by Siemens Integrity Initiative, to increase commitment to address corruption in the private sector.
This is by involving business key representatives of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing on-the-job ethics courses that fit the work environments of the most vulnerable industries to corruption, as well as to reduce corruption by strengthening anti-corruption legal frameworks, promoting public-private sector dialogue and encouraging the private sector capacity to enhance integrity.
Under this project, which is being implemented in six Arab countries; namely Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE, UNODC has developed a Corruption Risk Assessment Tool to help SMEs in the MENA region assess the common corruption risks encountered within their industry or area of operation.
To put the Corruption Risk Assessment Tool into action, UNODC and the Libyan Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources organized a workshop for 14 representatives of different SMEs to introduce them to the Tool. Prior to this exercise, the participants were familiarized with the international anti-corruption framework and the risk assessment process in the private sector.
The workshop provided a platform for SMEs to identify the different weaknesses that might expose them to corruption risks and the controls that should be adopted to mitigate those risks. Representatives of the SMEs will put the knowledge obtained into practice in their line of business and UNODC will continue collaborating with national authorities to advance this goal.
