TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS ON PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM 2025
Pacific Chapters of TI have joined their voices to call for good governance, improved electoral integrity and stronger efforts across the Pacific to prevent corruption.
Governance can be good or bad. It is important and necessary that the Pacific 2050 Strategy pathway recognizes that good governance is essential to successful implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent Vision.
Bad governance, corrupt conduct and practice in political leadership, public & private sector, and civil society diminish all of us and the aspirations of the Blue Pacific Continent vision. To live in a corrupt region, country, or society is to live a less fulfilling life.
Corruption, the misuse and abuse of entrusted power is a major problem in the Pacific region and needs urgent action. From people’s voices, experiences, observations and perceptions per Global Corruption Barometer Pacific 2021 report, corruption is a major concern to Pacific peoples. In the machinery of government, it will get worse if left unchecked.
Corruption fuels social disorder, diverts funds from public goods towards private interest, influences policies towards specific sectors of society and groups, thereby shaping opportunities for conflicts while providing incentives for the corrupt to influence and control Executive Governments. It threatens democracy. It undermines public trust in the capacity and willingness of governments to enforce anti-corruption legislation, and durable peace.
Corruption poses a direct threat to national and regional peace and security, and the region’s ability to deal with the climate crisis. Corruption weakens governance of climate finance, adaptation and mitigation efforts. A lack of transparency also leads to communities not sharing in the benefits of their natural resources.
Corruption is a barrier to community development and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It hinders governments’ ability to deliver essential public services, particularly to those most vulnerable in communities, people with disability, women, children, men (rural and urban). Corruption has economic and social costs.
Gendered forms of corruption deepen gender inequality, hinder gender empowerment, and constitute a clear violation of human rights. Women, children, people with disabilities, rural and urban suffer disproportionately from corruption. The load falls on women in particular as they are the main care givers to children in their families, the disabled, and to people with special needs in their community. Sexual corruption, the abuse of entrusted power by a person in authority to obtain a sexual favor in exchange for a service or benefit is a major problem across the Pacific. Women and men are forced to pay bribes to access key services such as health and education for their children. Unfair laws, undue influence and favouritism impede citizen’s participation in politics, in economic development and accessing information, when they want to raise their voices.
The erosion of Political Leadership Integrity poses a huge risk to the security, peace, social inclusion, and prosperity that ensures all Pacific people can lead a free, healthy, and productive life.
Integrity in Political Leadership protecting Democracy through Good Governance, are key to achieving the narrative of the Blue Pacific Continent Vision.
The Integrity of the Electoral Processes and recognizing that it is the voters that elect politicians and politicians that exert undue influence over them at election time. Citizens need key and critical information and knowledge about their democratic, political, legal, civil, and human rights and their duties and responsibilities (civic awareness) to make informed choices at election times. We ask and urge that you pay more attention to the Integrity of Electoral Processes, processes, procedures, conduct and electoral systems that could curb current undue influences. Civil Society Organisations are better placed to deliver this awareness, and with resourcing would be a valuable partner to the implementation of the 2050 Strategy. We need to bring the people along in this journey.
Pacific leaders have made key commitments at national and regional levels to tackle these and other corruption challenges – SDG 16, The Boe Declaration on Regional Security, National Anti-Corruption Strategies, UNCAC and more recently the Teieniwa vision – endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum in 2021.
We acknowledge the progress that has been made on some of the commitments through the implementation planning on anti-corruption strategies and agencies, on whistleblowing protection and on beneficial ownership transparency. This shows that positive change is possible through cross Pacific and in-country efforts. But there is much more to be done.
Most importantly governments need to bring Pacific communities onside with policy initiatives.
In the lead up to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting 8th – 12th September 2025, Transparency International Chapters of the Pacific call on Pacific leaders to:
- attach greater urgency, determination, and the political will to make significant progress in fulfilling these anti-corruption commitments
- to monitor and report to Pacific people on their implementation progress;
- to do this with the full participation of Civil Society Organisations working in this space;
- to further beneficial ownership transparency;
- to progress reforms on Right to Information legislation;
- to improve political integrity and electoral processes, and civic awareness.
