The European Union Delegation in Afghanistan launched its 2016 anti-corruption campaign in Afghanistan on Saturday with an aim to help Afghan citizens fight corruption and seek to mobilise support for stronger Government action against corruption.
According to a statement by the EU mission in Afghanistan, the campaign runs for seven weeks and culminates with a high-level conference in early May.
The statement further added that Afghanistan’s endemic corruption is crippling the economy and undermining the fight against the insurgency. This threatens past achievements and investments in Afghanistan as well as the future of all young Afghans.
According to the EU mission, the campaign will focus on four themes:
• Corruption and Peace
• Corruption in the judicial sector
• Natural resources and stability – the threat of illegal mining,
• Public action against corruption
At the Campaign launch, EU Special Representative in Afghanistan, Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin stated, “Every day ordinary Afghans are confronted with corruption’s dark shadow that fills the pockets of the rich while the poor suffer. It undermines the Afghan people’s hard-won achievements over the last 14 years, and it is a primary threat to the sustainability and survivability of the Afghan state. The Government can and should do more, but Government action cannot stand alone. Every Afghan should take personal responsibility for ending this scourge. This includes refusing to benefit from the corruption of others. This is why the campaign will also focus on how ordinary citizens and media can confront and expose corrupt practises.”
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