The World Bank and government of Côte d’Ivoire opened the 2023 Forum of the International Anti-Corruption Alliance in Abidjan on Wednesday, according to official sources.
From 14 -16 June, the forum will bring together more than 300 anti-corruption experts, policy-makers and civil society representatives from over 70 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities to be seized in advancing the fight against corruption worldwide.
“Corruption not only has a pernicious impact on countries’ economies and development efforts, but can also have particularly devastating consequences on the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society,” explained Mouhamadou Diagne, Vice-President of the World Bank’s Integrity Group, in a press release.
“The ICHA forum draws on the skills, strengths and expertise of all countries to support a broad coalition of actors committed to a common goal against corruption,” he added.
“The fight against corruption is a priority for the World Bank. As part of this commitment, the World Bank is organizing the International Anti-Corruption Alliance (ICHA) Forum to bring together frontline anti-corruption practitioners from around the world to engage in a dialogue on the challenges and solutions to advance the global anti-corruption agenda,” wrote the World Bank in a statement.
According to the same source, corruption is a serious obstacle to development and is “particularly pernicious” for the poorest and most vulnerable, increasing costs and reducing access to basic services such as health, education, social programmes and even justice.
“Corruption exacerbates inequality and reduces levels of investment to the detriment of markets, employment opportunities and economies,” according to the World Bank, which states that corruption can also undermine a country’s response to emergencies and, if left unchecked, can erode the trust that citizens place in their leaders and institutions, creating social tensions and increasing the risk of fragility, conflict and violence.