Corruption Undermines Afghanistan’s Progress towards Sustainable Development Goals

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Kabul, Afghanistan - A new report by Transparency International has found that the Afghan government’s efforts to combat corruption are falling short of international standards, which may hinder the country’s ability to achieve its sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Evaluating Progress on Corruption Targets

The report, titled “Policy, SDGs and Fighting Corruption for the People,” evaluates Afghanistan’s progress on three key targets related to corruption under Goal 16 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The targets focus on:

Illicit financial and arms flows
Bribery
Access to information and fundamental freedoms

Without a government that is serious about beating corruption, Afghanistan is unlikely to meet its SDG commitments of ending poverty, securing peace, and ensuring an inclusive society.

Recommendations for the National Unity Government

The report makes several recommendations for the National Unity Government to prioritize in order to curb corruption:

Enact a comprehensive anti-corruption law
Investigate and prosecute major cases of corruption
Pass whistleblower protection legislation
Improve transparency in public procurement processes

“Where resources allocated to essential services are pocketed by the corrupt, the poor and vulnerable will be hit the hardest, making a mockery of the 2030 Agenda’s ambition to ’leave no-one behind’,” said Rukshana Nanayakkara, advocacy manager at Transparency International.

Lack of Transparency in Anti-Corruption Efforts

The report also criticizes the lack of transparency in Afghanistan’s anti-corruption efforts, including:

The absence of a comprehensive anti-corruption law
Failure to prosecute high-level officials accused of corruption

“Afghanistan is among the 193 countries that have adopted the SDGs, but fighting corruption does not seem to have been given the attention it deserves in the Afghan government’s SDG implementation plan,” said Nanayakkara.

Full Report Available

The full report can be found on Transparency International’s website.