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Senegal’s Anti-Corruption Efforts to Have Lasting Impact on Good Governance
In Dakar, Senegal, the government has made a significant move towards promoting good governance and combating corruption by strengthening its anti-corruption legal framework as part of its Open Government Partnership (OGP) action plan. The commitment includes disseminating the national anti-corruption strategy across the country and creating a multi-stakeholder committee to review and draft legislation.
Expected Outcomes
The implementation of this commitment is expected to have a lasting impact on repressing corruption through judicial decisions, enhancing civic participation in anti-corruption policymaking, improving government transparency, and increasing public accountability. The creation of a multi-stakeholder committee will provide an opportunity for civil society to collaborate with the government in drafting legislation that protects whistleblowers and ensures asset declaration enforcement and disclosure.
Challenges and Opportunities
However, stakeholders face challenges in securing political will and negotiating draft laws through parliament. Local elections in January 2022 offer a chance to build alliances among newly elected municipal leaders who can champion anti-corruption efforts. Additionally, civil society organizations must be involved in the reform process to ensure broad consultation and representation.
IRM Recommendations
To achieve significant outcomes, the International Republican Institute (IRM) recommends that the government meets certain criteria during implementation, including:
- Providing opportunities for experts, citizens, and civil society to provide input on draft legislation
- Publishing procedural transparency reports
- Building a coalition of anti-corruption champions across various sectors
Lessons from Other Countries
Senegal can draw inspiration from successful consultative approaches in other countries, such as Croatia’s open and participatory drafting of its Anti-Corruption Strategy (2014) and Albania’s implementation of the law “On Protection of Whistleblowers” in its 2016 action plan.
Conclusion
The IRM believes that if these recommendations are met, Senegal can successfully implement its anti-corruption commitment and create a more transparent and accountable government.