24 July 2019

        The opening ceremony of Corruption Prevention Unit (CPU) Technical Workshop No. 2 (2/2019), jointly organized by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was held at the PARK ROYAL HOTEL in Nay Pyi Taw at 09:00 this morning.

The Chairman and the Commissioners attended the Opening Ceremony, along with the Deputy Minister of the Union Government Office, Bago Region Governments, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Municipal Development, the UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Peter Batchelor, the UNODC Anti-Corruption Program Manager, Ms. Marie Pegie Cauchois, officials from various Union Ministries, the Union Attorney General’s Office, and Permanent Secretaries from the Central Bank of Myanmar, high-ranking officials members of the CPU, Directors General of  the Commission Office, officials members of the CPU, professionals, World Bank officials, and a total of 200 invited people.

At the ceremony, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, U Aung Kyi, announced that since January 2019, 14 Union Ministries have established Corruption Prevention Units (CPUs) as a pilot project. With more Union Ministries forming CPUs according to their own desire, a total of 32 CPUs have now been established within 18 Union Ministries. The activities of each CPU will be described in the Commission’s annual report and presented transparently in detail, not only to the President and Heads of State but also to the public. Therefore, he emphasized the need to carry out the objectives of CPUs with full responsibility. CPUs have already started operating effectively in some Ministries, and in this second workshop, CPU technology and new tools will be introduced to further enhance their ability to serve the public extensively in the near future.

        Among the new subjects covered in today’s technical workshop (2/2019), there will be included a business program called Proactive Beneficiary Engagement (PBE), which will be provided as a CPU Toolkit by the Myanmar office, World Bank Group. This program will be highly useful in combating petty corruption by addressing specific needs. It enables direct communication between CPU members and individuals who receive services, serving as a mechanism to hold accountable those Staff in Region/State/Township/County/Village offices who abuse their official duties. 

Due to effective measures, corruption poses a significant risk. People have increasingly recognized this fact as the way of democratic reform progresses. The risk of exposure and prosecution for corruption is expected to grow. Therefore, public servants and civil servants must remain vigilant to prevent the danger of corruption from affecting their departments and organizations, including themselves. The task of the CPUs is to protect the department organization from the dangers that may arise due to corruption and to safeguard the public interest. Hence, there is no doubt about the tasks of the CPU, and he requested officials and civil servants to willingly cooperate in accordance with the objectives of the CPU.

Then, the Resident Representative from the United Nations Development Program, Mr. Peter Batchelor stated that the formation of 32 CPUs in 18 Union Ministries has been a success. He expressed his commitment to cooperating with the Commission to ensure effective and successful operations. Mr. Batchelor expressed great pride in the Head of State’s emphasis on the fight against corruption and praised the leadership in this endeavor. He also mentioned that public need time to improve their morale. 

Ms. Marie Pegie Cauchois, the Anti-Corruption Program Manager of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), stated that all workshop participants must work on important issues to facilitate change within the democratic system. Corruption poses a significant challenge for all democratic governments, and they are committed to addressing it seriously. It is crucial to identify ways to mitigate the underlying causes of corruption. Ms. Cauchois emphasized the importance of public participation and highlighted the need for civil servants serving the public to be upright and honest. Following that, the chairman of the commission and the participants took photos for the record.

The workshop will continue until July 26th, and experts from UNDP, UNODC, and the World Bank will hold discussions on relevant subjects. 

A total of 156 trainees from 18 Union Ministries, where Corruption Prevention Units have been established, as well as the Commission Office, are attending the workshop.