CLCT Integrity Fiji Executive Director, Dr Joseph Veramu, says corruption undermines our ability to respond to climate change.

Speaking at the 2023 Pacific Anti-Corruption Regional Conference last week, Dr. Veramu says communities, particularly those most marginalized, are ultimately most affected by this.

“Especially where there is mining and forestry – so this is an area where a lot of Transparency Chapters work in. Citizens need to be engaged at the heart of all anti-corruption efforts for lasting impact. Put simply as right holders they need to be in the driving seat, determining where the priorities should be and monitoring progress on them.”

Dr Veramu adds that Transparency International and the Pacific Chapters believe in a better future, and to get there, agencies and governments must work with citizens as part of the solutions in the fight against corruption.

Dr Veramu says citizens need to be involved in decision-making so they can hold the government and other agencies accountable.