Over a decade since the Open Government Partnership was formed to promote more inclusive, transparent, and participatory governments around the world, the challenge of corruption has only grown in importance. Globally, every nation, every population confronts increasingly novel and seemingly intractable issues as technology-fueled disinformation, nation state malignant influence operations, and criminal enterprises enable corruption to spread and evolve. The rise of authoritarianism has roots in the corrosive impact of corruption on democracy and the rule of law. In short, the need for renewed, effective measures to combat corruption is more salient than ever.
The Biden Administration agreed, memorializing the importance of effectively combatting corruption into the National Strategy on Countering Corruption. The Strategy prioritizes modernization of the US government architecture to combat corruption, more effective collection and use of data, and improved coordination across the proverbial board.
Justice sector actors are on the front lines of countering and combatting corruption, through prosecution, administrative regulation, and prevention. At the same time, the justice sector is not immune to corruption’s pernicious influence. And, in a system that depends on public legitimacy, the justice sector is particularly affected by the destructive impact of corruption. It is thus particularly important for justice sector experts and reform managers to possess, and continue to deepen, an in depth, nuanced understanding of the entrenched, resilient, and systemic nature of corruption in society.
Building upon the analytical foundation provided in the JUSTRAC Training “Understanding and Analyzing Corruption,” participants in this two-day training will expand their knowledge of anticorruption efforts beyond traditional approaches. Participants will apply these tools in a group setting drawing from hypothetical scenarios that will illustrate the challenges outlined during the training. At the end of the training, participants will leave with a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of programmatic responses to corruption as well as templates for all tools used throughout the training to apply to their own country of focus.