TIME TO GET RID OF CORRUPTION

The National Dialogue outcomes made clear that tackling corruption was important to Yemenis. The Peace and National Partnership Agreement (PNPA) signed by all parties on 21 September has rightly put the fight against corruption back at the top of the political agenda in Yemen.

When youth, women and civil society took to the streets in 2011, they were seeking an end to corruption and patronage. But three years on, despite the promise of the Mutual Accountability Framework, signed by government and donors in 2012, and the passing of a much heralded Right to Information Law in the same year, very little has changed. Yemen’s Supreme Commission for Combating Corruption (SNACC), established in 2006, seems to have even fewer teeth than before and is currently subject to a Supreme Court battle over the legality of its board.

Against this backdrop, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) hosted a workshop on anti-corruption strategies and approaches for Yemen in Amman at the end of September, facilitated by the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre.

The workshop brought together representatives from the President’s Office, SNACC, the Central Organisation for Control and Auditing, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the High Authority for Tender Control, the Ministry of Interior, the Political Security Office, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, civil society organisations and donors to discuss how to support the Government of Yemen in advancing its efforts to control corruption.

There was a striking level of consensus when it came to diagnosing the problem. Despite ratifying the UN Convention Against Corruption in 2005, Yemen lacks an effective legal framework to tackle corruption. The efficacy of Yemen’s institutional framework remains hampered by weak mandates and capacity, a lack of integrity in the judicial process and weak cooperation between entities. The legal immunity from investigation and prosecution enjoyed by high officials suspected of corruption was frequently cited as symptomatic of the wider problem.

But this begs the question, where to start? A comprehensive strategy looks good on paper. But the real test is in the implementation. Yemen’s 2010-14 National Anti-Corruption Strategy has been 25% implemented at best. The workshop highlighted the need to prioritise, based on a sound understanding of the political economy of corruption in Yemen and of public opinion, and what matters to Yemen’s citizens. And what you tell us is that you want to get all of your salary, not pay some to your boss; to be able to interact with an official without paying a bribe; and to see state resources invested in clinics and schools, not syphoned into the pockets of elites.

It also underlined that addressing corruption is a long-term business and will require sustained effort in Yemen, as elsewhere. Yemen’s fragile political transition process needs sustained change, not destabilising winner/loser scenarios which can result from rushing through anti-corruption reforms. But this should not become an excuse for inaction. There is no ‘right time’ to enact difficult reforms and the people of Yemen need to see visible progress, if they are to keep the faith with the transition.

Success will depend on strong collaboration across Government, civil society, media and the international community. Difficult decisions will be needed: fuel subsidy reform could prevent the misappropriation of millions of riyals and free up savings to reinvest in local infrastructure and social protection

Citizens may feel powerless but actually have a critical role to play. The workshop shared experience from countries like Afghanistan and Palestine, where citizen monitoring of service delivery and budget expenditure has had a dramatic impact in changing incentives and reducing corruption at the local level. The UK is developing new programming to support this kind of approach in Yemen.

The President’s Economic Committee, mandated under the PNPA, comes at a critical time. It has the potential to breathe new life into the campaign to tackle corruption. Identifying some visible actions which will build public confidence would be a good place to start.