Press Release – UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji
9 December marks International Anti-Corruption Day, with the 2024 theme focusing on the role that our Pacific youth play in combatting corruption.
By His Excellency Dr. Brian Jones, and Munkhtuya Altangerel
9 December 2024
The Pacific is young, with the region’s youth standing at a critical crossroad; a generation poised to either perpetuate systemic challenges or drive transformative change.
Across the 10 Pacific Island Countries the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office covers, close to 50 percent of the population is aged below 35. In Fiji, those aged under 35 make up over 60 percent of the population; in Solomon Islands over 70 percent of the population falls into that same age category.
These demographic statistics underscore a pivotal reality: Climate change, global connectivity, and diaspora experiences have forged Pacific youth into a generation of potential changemakers – if we take the chance to listen. Innovation and creativity like the ‘Integrity’ album produced by Fiji’s own Josa, launched in partnership with Integrity Fiji at the British High Commission earlier this year, offer a powerful tool to share messages on anti-corruption across the region.
Embracing the Youth Bulge: A Strategic Imperative
The concept of the ‘youth bulge’ is one that we all must prioritise. Collectively, we must ensure that our region’s young people are afforded a space at the decision-making table that is commensurate to the percentage of the population they account for.
Nations that embrace their youth as an opportunity, not a burden, have prospered. Those that have made youth feel unheard, disconnected, or that offered youth unpromising futures can be more prone to unrest.
As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day this 9 December, the question that we must ask centres on how best we can engage our future leaders in the fight against this systemic issue that prohibits inclusive, sustainable development.
Technology as an Anti-Corruption Tool
If youth are to drive meaningful change, they need powerful tools. In the Pacific, where geography and infrastructure pose unique challenges, technology emerges as a critical lever of transformation. Small island states like Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu can leverage mobile technology to create transparent reporting mechanisms. Mobile apps could allow citizens to anonymously report government inefficiencies or document instances of bribery, by way of example.
Pacific youth, who have high mobile phone penetration rates and increasing digital literacy, are uniquely positioned to develop and implement these technological interventions, turning digital platforms into powerful tools for accountability and institutional transparency.
While technology offers an immediate mechanism for accountability, sustainable change requires deeper roots. Digital interventions are powerful, but they are symptoms of a more fundamental need: reimagining how we educate and empower future leaders.
Education as an Enabler Against Corruption in the Pacific
To create lasting change, we must reimagine our most fundamental institution of social transformation: education. To treat the symptoms of corruption, we must first navigate our way back to the core of where corruption stems from. We must see education as our frontline defence, embedding integrity and accountability into every lesson.
By redesigning curricula to explicitly address the over-arching framework of ethical governance, countries like Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu can cultivate a generation of leaders committed to systemic change. This approach goes beyond traditional civics education, integrating real-world case studies of corruption’s impact, teaching critical thinking skills that help students identify and challenge corrupt practices, promoting a culture of accountability.
The Government of the United Kingdom-supported Pacific Anti-Corruption Project provides a blueprint for this transformative approach. Through youth-led workshops, peer education programs, and community engagement initiatives, we are not just teaching anti-corruption principles – we are cultivating a culture of accountability. These programs demonstrate that when we invest in young people, we invest in institutional integrity.
Transforming Potential into Power
Pacific youth have already defined a Youth Vision for a Corruption Resilient Blue Pacific, with the support of UNDP and the Government of the United Kingdom. That vision sets out the demands and concerns. Now it is time to act.
Together, we recognise that the people of the Pacific deserve to have their resources harnessed and fully utilised for their benefit through well-funded, well-delivered public services.
To use the climate emergency as just one example, its intensification must ensure that every cent is strategically and transparently spent to protect the Pacific’s communities and ecosystems.
Our collaborative approach brings together international development expertise, donor commitment, and local Pacific leadership to build more transparent, accountable, and resilient governance systems. Together we stand united in supporting the Pacific to strengthen institutional integrity, empower youth, and create meaningful, lasting change in the ongoing battle against corruption.
Pacific Island youth are not just recipients of change – they are its architects. Standing at the intersection of global climate vulnerability and systemic corruption, they possess a unique moral and strategic authority to reimagine governance. The UK is committed to working in partnership with representatives of the Pacific and championing their voice on this agenda.
Their engagement is not just desirable; it is essential for the region’s survival and prosperity.
His Excellency Dr. Brian Jones is British High Commissioner to Fiji. Munkhtuya Altangerel serves as the Resident Representative for the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji.
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