National
‘Fighting corruption critical to meeting SDGs’
Donors, the judiciary and the academia on Friday called for a stronger efforts from all quarters to prevent and fight corruption, which poses a serious threat to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Donors, the judiciary and the academia on Friday called for a stronger efforts from all quarters to prevent and fight corruption, which poses a serious threat to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at an interaction organised by Law Campus with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), they said combating corruption is critical to meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
British Ambassador to Nepal, Richard Morris, said corruption and poor governance were constraining Nepal’s economic potential, posing a barrier to investment, growth and poverty reduction.
“Foreign investors are deterred by practices that do not provide a level playing field,” he said. “Successful anti-corruption efforts are an effective way to build investor confidence.”
Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Nepal, RensjeTeerink, referred to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index of 2015, which had ranked Nepal 130th out of 168 surveyed countries, as an illustration of the seriousness of the issue and the work to be done.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Sushila Karki highlighted some of the commitments and the achievements made by the country in a fight against corruption, with particular focus on the judiciary’s performance.
UNDP Deputy Country Director in Nepal, Sophie Kemkhadze, said that every year, a hefty $1.26 trillion is lost in developing countries, and $2.6 trillion globally to corruption.
“Fighting corruption is not only an issue for the government but one in which each and every one of us have a role to play.”