ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGIES: UNDERSTANDING WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN’T AND WHY? Lessons learned from the Asia-Pacific region

ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGIES: UNDERSTANDING WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN’T AND WHY? Lessons learned from the Asia-Pacific region

December 9, 2014

Many countries in Asia-Pacific have undertaken the challenging task of developing an anti-corruption strategy. Fourteen countries in this region have drafted an anti-corruption strategy, which refers to a country’s comprehensive anti-corruption policy document to coordinate national anti-corruption action. Anti-corruption strategies define a set of priority objectives to prevent and combat corruption. They also usually include action plans with implementation and monitoring mechanisms.

However, national anti-corruption strategies are a relatively new phenomenon in Asia-Pacific, with most efforts starting from 2007 onwards. Only two countries, Mongolia and Pakistan, drafted a strategy as early as 2002. This report explains the internal and external forces for the development of national anti-corruption strategies in the region. It also tries to identify common pitfalls at different stages of developing and implementing anti-corruption strategies, and provides recommendations to help countries develop effective anti-corruption strategies based on evidence.