2023-05-01 08:26:09
Considering the United Nations Convention once morest Corruption (UNCAC) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 58/4 of October 31, 2003;
Considering the African Union Convention on preventing and combating corruption adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union on July 12, 2003;
Considering the Protocol on the fight once morest corruption of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), adopted by the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on December 21, 2001;
Considering that ECOWAS member countries have ratified and/or adopted texts relating to the prevention and fight once morest corruption and related offences;
Considering that corruption is a pernicious evil that continues to cause human drama, in the sense that it undermines human rights and annihilates development efforts;
Concerned regarding the fate of millions of African children who die of hunger, thirst, and without real access to health care and education because of this scourge, while a tiny minority of dignitaries allow themselves freedoms with public resources;
Considering the close link between corruption and terrorism, which is decimating thousands of Africans and threatening the foundations of several West African States;
Convinced of the merits of good governance, in particular transparency and accountability;
Considering the worrying proportions taken by corruption and related offenses in our countries;
Considering the efforts made by national institutions for the prevention and fight once morest corruption and similar offences, the media and civil society organizations to denounce this insidious hard-skinned practice;
Considering the urgency of strengthening the synergy of actions between the media, civil society organizations and national institutions for the prevention, fight and repression of corruption and related offences;
We, investigative journalists, national institutions for the prevention, fight and repression of corruption and related offenses and civil society organizations, participants in the Conference on the impact of investigative journalism on the fight once morest corruption in West Africa, held from 26 to 27 April 2023 in Niamey:
– let’s call to the institutionalization of this conference as a framework for collective reflection, sharing of experiences, proposals for a better contribution to the consolidation of public management in West Africa and a greater impact of journalism investigation in the fight once morest corruption;
– Let’s take the commitment to strengthen collaboration between investigative journalists, anti-corruption institutions and civil society, in order to meet the common challenge of good governance and the strengthening of the rule of law;
– let’s decide to strengthen the synergy of actions of actors in the fight once morest corruption within the countries and between the different States;
– let’s call the various governments to strengthen the independence, autonomy and financial capacity needed to carry out their public finance control missions;
– Interpellons the Heads of State and Government of West Africa on the need to respect and ensure respect for the various Conventions and Protocols to which our States have freely acceded;
– invite West African legislators to adopt or strengthen laws protecting journalists, investigators and national anti-corruption institutions, civil society actors and whistleblowers;
– Urge the judicial institutions of West African countries and Mauritania to take up cases of denunciations of mismanagement of public resources made public by the media;
– invite governments to create the necessary conditions for the free exercise of the profession of journalist and the independence of the media, in particular of investigation;
– let’s call the citizens of West Africa to become strongly involved and to systematically denounce cases of corruption as well as apparent crimes.
Done in Niamey, April 27, 2023
The conference
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