African Anti-Corruption Day 2021 : “RECs: Critical Actors in the Implementation of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption”

In recognition of the vast progress that has been made and cognizant of the need to continually reflect on approaches to end corruption, the African Union designated 11 July as the African Anti-Corruption Day.
This year will mark the fifth edition of the African Anti-Corruption Day which will be commemorated under the theme “Regional Economic Communities: Critical Actors in the Implementation of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption”. The day shall serve as a basis for all anti-corruption stakeholders to reflect and dialogue on the role of Regional Economic Communities in promoting the anti-corruption agenda. 

The reflections will facilitate the identification and dissemination of the challenges, good practices and the progress made in the Regional Economic Communities in the fight against corruption. This will particularly focus on the implementation of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) that was adopted in Maputo, Mozambique on 11 July 2003 and came into force in 2006. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 44 Member States of the African Union. Since adoption of the Convention, African states have made significant strides in the fight against corruption including the enactment of national laws and the creation of anti-corruption agencies.

While the primary responsibility of tackling corruption rests with individual states,
sub-regional frameworks are also necessary to address the scourge of corruption. The AUCPCC requires States Parties to foster regional, continental and international cooperation to prevent corrupt practices. The reflections will facilitate means on how to deepen the engagement on anticorruption interventions. The Day will provide a platform to highlight the importance of synergies and stronger collaboration between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and States Parties as well as key stakeholders on the anti-corruption landscape including civil society, media and international organizations in the fight against corruption on the Continent.

The goal of the event is to give prominence to the fight against corruption through the commemoration of the adoption of the AUCPCC as a mechanism for fighting corruption in Africa.

There will be a series of events in the first week of July as run up to the African Anti-Corruption day which shall include profiling of the work of Regional Economic Communities on Anti-Corruption.

The significance of the commemoration of the African Anti-Corruption Day under the theme “Regional Economic Communities: Critical Actors in the Implementation of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption” is to give prominence to, among others;

1. RECs play an important role in facilitating candid, constructive dialogue and exchanges of best practices and progress on the fight against corruption within and among regions, and progress on domestication of legislation such as AUCPCC.
2. As Africa trades under the African Continental Free Trade Area, corrupt practices can repulse potential investors, close collaboration between national and regional actors must be strengthened including with civil societies, media, private sector and citizenry.
3. National anticorruption authorities are building blocks to anticorruption efforts within RECs.
4. alignment and synergy between National Anti-Corruption Authorities (NACAs), RECs and AUCPCC is crucial in fighting corruption and is a catalyst to the achievement of Agenda 2063.
5. RECs play an important role in encouraging a culture of corporate transparency, accountability, and integrity especially in multinational corporations.
6. RECs play a crucial role in advocating, monitoring and evaluating good governance practices within their regions.

You can participate in the celebration of the African Anti-Corruption Day by:-

1. Organizing creative activities in your community to mark 11 July;
2. Urging your country to ratify, implement and report on its compliance with the African
3. Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption;
4. Raising awareness on the negative impact of corruption in your community;
5. Reporting cases of corruption within your respective Countries to the relevant AntiCorruption Agencies;
6. Promoting anti-corruption champions and publicizing stories of success in fighting
7. corruption;
8. Using the communication tools on publications and at events;
9. Sending a message to your networks about the campaign;
10. Tweeting about the day using the hashtag #AfricaAgainstCorruption and tagging @AUABC_; and
11. Committing to an accountable and transparent lifestyle.

As various related events are scheduled to take place as part of the commemoration activities, the African Anti-Corruption Day organizing Committee will ensure participants successfully and seamlessly register online. Registration is now open. Participants should use the link below to register for the virtual commemoration of African Anti-Corruption Day on the 9th July 2021-https://zoom.us/j/98683788253
Webinar ID: 986 8378 8253
Physical events will be held at Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. To participate, contact - auabcregistry@africa-union.org

• African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption
• Governance Treaties
• Assembly Special Declaration on Illicit Financial Flows
• 2018 as the African Anti-Corruption Year
• Nouakchott Declaration on the African Anti-Corruption Year
• The draft Common African Position on Asset Recovery