21 African countries adopt Bawumia’s use of technology in Corruption fight

Over two hundred representatives from 21 African countries who recently converged in Accra, Ghana, for the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa, have agreed on the need to rely on technology as a major tool in combating corruption and corruption-related crimes.

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who had earlier given a presentation on digitalization, its importance and the need for a paradigm shift, posited that with the right digital tools and their appropriate use, digitalization can defeat the worst forms of public corruption, including the networks that underpin corruption networks.

“I posit to you that with the right tools and its use, we can deploy digitalization to defeat the worst forms of public corruption, including the networks that underpin them…While bribery, revenue leakage, and corrupt networks and value-chains are some of the most pressing issues in the fight against corruption that threaten the future of African youth, we also have at our disposal digital technologies to identify members of corrupt networks, to account for revenues collected and to block revenue theft, as well as to track money and suspicious activity”, he had argued.

According to him, the deployment of digital tools have shown that with more investment and better tools, there is the possibility of eliminating the worst forms of corruption that weighs heavily on African economies.

Dr Bawumia, who has so far successfully led the NPP Government’s digitalization agenda, revealed that the next phase of Government’s massive digitalization drive will be to adopt blockchain technology, which will make it impossible for Government data and records to be tampered with, as Government continues to fight corruption in the public sector by leveraging digital tools.

He explained that when blockchain technology is successfully implemented, Ghana’s Government could be the first on the African continent to have a blockchain-powered Government.

“We are going to adopt blockchain technology for government to ensure that all data and transactions in the Government space are transparent and tamper-proof.  No one can change them. And so ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa,” He disclosed.

Following his presentation, delegates in their Ten-Point Communique, unanimously embraced the proposition by the Vice President for the use of technology in combating corruption in the current era.

“Member countries should scale up the use of technology to combat corruption; Anti-Corruption agencies should intensify corruption prevention in view of the evolving corruption landscape; Commonwealth African governments should commit adequate resources to Anti-Corruption agencies, to ensure the latter’s effectiveness and sustainability at fighting corruption”, the communique said.

Read full communique below:

THE 14^TH REGIONAL CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF HEADS OF ANTI CORRUPTION AGENCIES IN COMMONWEALTH AFRICA, ACCRA, GHANA

THEME: STRENGHTENING INSTITUTION AND PROMOTING

                TRANSPARENCY: A MEANS OF FIGHTING CORRUPTION

                IN COMMONWEALTH AFRICA

RESOLUTIONS

1. WE, the Heads and Representatives of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, meeting at the 14^thCommonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and co-hosted by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO),as the lead agency, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice ( CHRAJ) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) all of the Republic of Ghana, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, Ghana from 5-12 May 2024;

2. NOTING with deep gratitude the invaluable support and warm hospitality provided by the government and people of Ghana, through the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, who was represented by Hon. Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney General and Minister for Justice to open the conference;

3. THANKING His Excellency, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana for gracing the conference and delivering a special presentation on the importance of digitalisation in the fight against corruption in Africa.

4. COMMENDING the Government of the Republic of Ghana through the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as well as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Commonwealth Secretariat for hosting the 14th Conference;

5. MINDFUL of the need to strengthen cooperation and collaboration between the Anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa and desiring to work with allied institutions to combat corruption at all levels;

6. NOTING the need for a platform to share best practices and country innovations in the fight against corruption for the promotion of good governance;

7. HAVING exhaustively discussed the aims, objectives and the programme content and being satisfied that a full exchange of views has taken place on the goals of the conference agree and adopt the following resolutions;

1. Commonwealth African governments should enact and enhance legislative frameworks to ensure the establishment and accessibility of beneficial ownership registers in line with best practice;
2. Commonwealth African governments should ensure the mandatory disclosure of assets and liabilities of all public office holders, and take necessary steps to audit their lifestyles, and that of their significant associates;
3. Commonwealth African governments should consider legislative frameworks which put the burden of proof on individuals with unexplained wealth;
4. Member countries should scale up the use of technology to combat corruption;
5. Commonwealth African governments should commit adequate resources to Anti-Corruption agencies, to ensure the latter’s effectiveness and sustainability at fighting corruption;
6. Anti-Corruption agencies should collaborate with relevant local agencies and cooperate with key international partners in the fight against corruption;
7. Anti-Corruption agencies should consider leveraging expertise of international partners and key players to build capacity towards combating corruption;
8. Anti-Corruption agencies should preserve their independence as a means to ensure their effectiveness and upholding the integrity of their work;
9. Anti-Corruption agencies should intensify corruption prevention in view of the evolving corruption landscape.

8. NOTING further and welcoming the variety and diversity of experiences shared, agree:
9. To continue further discussions and capacity building on evolving issues, including transparency of activities which is crucial to the enhancement of the image of anticorruption agencies;
10. Anti-Corruption Agencies should facilitate the implementation of MLA requests made to their countries from other member countries;

• To heighten the importance of Mutual Legal Assistance as an appropriate vehicle in accelerating prosecution of corrupt individuals and reassure Anti-Corruption agencies of its usefulness; and

1. To focus on building capacity of Anti-Corruption officers to effectively trace and recover digital or virtual assets.

9. FURTHER agree to accept the offer by South Africa (SA) to host the next Conference in 2025 in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

10. The Conference confirms that Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana becomes the next Chair.

DECLARED AND SIGNED AT ACCRA, GHANA ON FRIDAY 10^TH MAY 2024.