The United Nations Development Programme says the fight against corruption in the Pacific is gaining momentum.
Country reps attend UNDP conference. Photo: UNDP
Oceania is the only region in the world to have completed all peer reviews under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
Last week saw the launch of the second phase of a regional anti-corruption project which will provide US$4.3 million over four years to try and mainstream its initiatives.
The UNDP's Mihaela Stojkoska said it's difficult to measure the extent of corruption in the Pacific but its impact on people is certainly among the highest in the world.
"It is very significant for the life of the Pacific citizen because every dollar lost in corruption means less infrastructure less health, less education and so on and so forth", she said.
"The overall context in the Pacific definitely implies that the impact of corruption is probably even higher than in other regions."
Mihaela Stojkoska said the project aims to support Pacific Island countries strengthen their national integrity systems in order to promote 'clean' governments and to create an enabling environment for trade, business, investment and sustainable development.
