“ABUJA DECLARATION ON YOUTH IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN AFRICA: CALL TO ACTION”

PREAMBLE

We, the youth delegates to the African Youth Congress Against Corruption convened on 9-10 December in Abuja, Nigeria, under the patronage of H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and African Union Champion for the Anti-Corruption Year, in conjunction with the African Union (AU) Commission, and following the interactions, debates and exchanges on the theme:

NOTING the Keynote Statement of H.E Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which emphasized the need to move from rhetoric to action, build bridges and strengthen partnerships as well as harness cultural norms as key strategies for effectively preventing and combatting corruption in Africa; and reiterating that winning the fight is for the youth to lead and win as the real champions;

FURTHER NOTING the remarks of H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission delivered on his behalf by H.E. Minata Samate Cessouma, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, reiterating the need for concerted efforts in the fight against corruption as key enablers for the attainment of AU Agenda 2063 and UN 2030 Agenda;

CONSCIOUS of the shared experience, demographic, cultural and socio-economic contiguity of African Union Member States; as well as historical identities as basis for collective action in the fight against corruption;

ACKNOWLEDGE the universal nature of corruption and the imperative to debunk the perception of corruption as a strictly African phenomenon, WHILE NOTING the corrosive effect of corruption on social, economic and political development in Africa such as unemployment, violence and conflicts, limited access to quality education and infrastructure decay and the absence of quality healthcare, housing and opportunities for Africa’s teeming youth;

CONCERNED that corruption poses a great developmental challenge to the actualization of AU Agenda 2063 for unity, peace and prosperity and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

AFFIRM that tremendous progress has been made in tackling the menace particularly in the areas of normative frameworks through the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) and the establishment of institutional mechanisms such as the AU Advisory Board on Corruption as well as national Anti-Corruption Agencies and institutions in various AU Member States;

UNDERSCORED the need to strengthen Regional and International cooperation especially in the areas of curbing Illicit Financial Flows and the recovery and return of stolen assets;

FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE various initiatives that have been undertaken as part of activities to commemorate the 2018 AU Theme of the Year on Winning the fight Against Corruption: A sustainable path to Transformation, including the African Governance Architecture (AGA) Regional Youth Consultations on Leveraging Youth Capacities for the fight against Corruption, the Gender Pre Forum on Corruption and Women’s Rights in Africa as well as the 7th High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa on the AU theme of the Year, the celebration of the first African Day of Anti-Corruption by the Presidential Advisory Committee against corruption set up by the AU Anti-Corruption Champion, Training On Corruption Risk Assessment for Heads of Anti- Corruption Agencies;

FULLY SUBSCRIBE to the outcomes of the aforementioned convenings and the Declaration of the African Union Assembly on the African Anti-Corruption Year adopted at the 31st Ordinary Session held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in July 2018 as a roadmap for Africa’s fight against corruption.

DETERMINED to harness the collective interest, capacity and energy of Africa’s youth for preventing and combatting corruption in Africa;

WE HEREBY;

Strengthening the Normative and Institutional Capacities

CALL for the establishment, where necessary and strengthening of independent anti-corruption bodies, with requisite resources and independence to fulfill their mandates without political interference and limitations;

ALSO CALL for the universal ratification, domestication and implementation of regional, continental and global anti-corruption normative instrument particularly the AU Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption (AUCPCC) by all Member States of the African Union;

CALL for strengthened partnerships and collaboration amongst national and regional institutions dedicated to issues of anti-corruption in Africa;

CALL on National Anti-Corruption Agencies and Institutions to put in place specific anti-corruption strategies focused on, harnessing young people’s abilities, capacities and interests, as leaders, partners and beneficiaries in the fight against corruption
 Supporting Youth Advocacy and Action

COMMIT to harnessing our demographic strength for building a culture of accountable and transparent governance in Africa through initiatives that promote ethical and value-based lifestyles;

FURTHER COMMIT to the continued engagement in the fight against corruption through initiation of programmes and activities aimed at raising awareness on corruption and impunity;

COMMIT to partnering with National Anti-Corruption Agencies and other related institutions in various Member States, Regional Economic Communities and on the continent as a whole;

URGE Member States of the African Union to guarantee an enabling space for youth led advocacy and action in the areas of open governance systems, parliamentary oversight as well as public procurement processes;

CALL on African Governments to enact and implement Freedom of Information legislations as well as the protection of anti-corruption activists, whistleblowers and human rights defenders through the enactment, strengthening (where they exist) and implementation of appropriate legislations and policies;

ENDORSE the establishment of the African Youth Community of Practice on Anti-Corruption (AYCPAC) as a framework for coordination of youth led efforts in the fight against corruption in Africa, KINDLY INVITE H.E President Muhammadu Buhari to serve as patron of the community.

Harnessing Innovative Technology and Civic Tech Initiatives

COMMIT to leveraging innovative technologies as effective tools in strengthening the culture of accountability, transparency and probity in governance processes. In this vein, IMPLORE Africa Governments to create the enabling space for responsible use of these technologies in preventing and combatting corruption;

Addressing adverse impact of Corruption on Women and Girls

CALL for renewed focus and attention on the gendered impact of corruption through creation of mechanisms and systems that track, report and mitigate impact of corruption on women.

Building Social Consciousness Against Corruption and Impunity

EMPHASIZE the need for a cultural revolution that amplifies African values of probity, integrity, honesty and contentment;

CALL for harnessing the mass appeal of Africa’s creative industry using music, movies/films, literature and fashion for a new social value system premised on accountability, transparency and probity;

URGE the private sector community to adhere to ethical business standards and imbibe the culture of integrity and honesty in their business dealings;

Enhancing Pan African and International Partnerships and Collaboration

CALL for strengthened partnerships and collaboration with pan African and global institutions on diminishing illicit financial flows, enhancing asset recovery, responsible tax management and transparent management of Africa’s extractive industry;

ALSO CALL for leveraging partnerships for capacity building, institutional development and peer assessment among various national, regional and continental anti-corruption bodies;

ENDORSE ongoing efforts at developing the Common African Position on Asset Recovery as a key strategy for tracing, freezing, returning and managing stolen assets;

Finally, participants at this maiden African Youth Congress Against Corruption requested the AU to ensure the sustained leadership, commitment and political support and designate H.E Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as champion for the fight against corruption in Africa, beyond the 2018 AU Theme.

EXPRESS SINCERE APPRECIATION to H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for championing the AU Project 2018 on Anti-corruption and for hosting youths from across the continent to this auspicious event in Africa’s renewed effort to sustainably eradicate corruption in the Continent.

FINALLY, we the African Youth Delegates present at this maiden Congress commit as charged by the H.E Muhammadu Buhari, that we will take action against corruption,
we will build bridges of cooperation and will promote the culture of integrity and accountability


Done at Abuja, Nigeria this 10th Day of December 2018.